NASA

  • Thanks to big data, agencies are learning where their skills gaps are. To close them, they'll have to get around some archiac personnel regulations, according to a panel of experts on the Federal Drive.

    January 12, 2015
  • Joanne Woytek, NASA SEWP program manager, said the space agency now plans to implement the next generation of the technology GWAC by May 1 after reexamining vendor bids. In the meantime, starting in March, SEWP will give agencies more information about what they buy, who they buy from and how they buy than ever before.

    January 09, 2015
  • NASA is still five months away from kicking off its next generation governmentwide acquisition contract known as SEWP 5. But that isn't stopping the space agency from rolling out a series of new initiatives to give customer agencies more data -- and context about their spending -- than ever before. Joanne Woytek, program manager of NASA SEWP, tells Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller about the status of SEWP V and where NASA is heading next.

    January 08, 2015
  • NASA's launch and re-entry of its Orion space capsule proved the vehicle might safely carry people into deep space. Someday. But when? That's the question NASA faces as it tries to meet ambitious deadlines with limited funds. A big challenge is developing the vehicle, the rocket necessary to launch it past the moon and the ground station support so they're all ready at the same time. The Government Accountability Office has been on top of this. Christina Chaplain, the director of acquisition and sourcing management issues at GAO joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to examine the agency's findings.

    December 15, 2014
  • NASA's Orion is on her way home for the holidays. The spacecraft is being transported to Kennedy Space Center in Florida after a successful first test flight, splashdown, and recovery. Orion will be examined and disassembled so NASA researchers can prepare for the next stage of its Space Launch Systems programs. Mark Geyer is the Orion program manager at NASA. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details on what comes next.

    December 12, 2014
  • We get the inside scoop from some of this year's award winners.

    December 11, 2014
  • The Chief Human Capital Officers Council, working with representatives of labor unions and managers' associations, is trying to give agencies tools to boost employee engagement following three years of declining scores on the governmentwide employee viewpoint survey.

    November 05, 2014
  • NASA begins an official investigation into what caused the supply rocket explosion in Virginia yesterday. It's an expensive setback for the agency's strategy to rely more on contractors -- and contractor-led innovation -- to meet its mission. Lou Kerestesy is founder and CEO of GovInnovators. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said agencies are missing hidden opportunities to find innovation inside their own organizations.

    October 30, 2014
  • NASA has a lot going on these days, and not just the investigation into Tuesday evening's explosion of a privately-operated rocket at the Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia. NASA has received high marks for employee satisfaction, and it's also moving ahead with plans to end U.S. reliance on Russia. NASA chose contractors Boeing and Space-X to transport astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017. The Tuesday crash involved a rocket made and operated by Orbital Sciences, which is not involved in astronaut transport. In an interview with Federal News Radio's Emily Kopp, Administrator Charles Bolden spoke about new rockets and why they're special.

    October 29, 2014
  • All eyes are on NASA after the Antares Rocket exploded at the Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia on Tuesday evening. No one was injured in the blast, but an investigation into the explosion is being launched. Marcia Smith is Editor of Space Policy Online. She joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to explain what the explosion means for NASA's mission going forward.

    October 29, 2014
  • BROCK VERGAKIS AP Aerospace Writer ATLANTIC, Va. (AP) — An unmanned commercial supply rocket bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after liftoff Tuesday evening, with debris falling in flames over the launch site…

    October 29, 2014
  • NASA Ames CIO Jerry Davis joins Federal News Radio for a free online chat to discuss his IT priorities for NASA Ames, including workforce development, big data analysis and his efforts to improve the center's cybersecurity.

    October 23, 2014
  • When it rolls out its fifth version next month, NASA's SEWP will have the lowest fees of any governmentwide acquisition contract. It will charge less than 0.4 percent to participating agencies. SEWP IV fees are 0.45 percent, compared to the General Services Administration's 0.75 percent.

    October 06, 2014
  • One of the longest running governmentwide procurement contracts (GWACs) is about to enter its fifth generation. Solutions for Enterprise-wide Procurement (SEWP) has been a mainstay offering of NASA since 1993. Back then, it was known as the Scientific and Engineering Work Station Procurement. The SEWP team has awarded contracts for SEWP V. Joanne Woytek, program manager of NASA SEWP, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details.

    October 06, 2014