Space Operations: NASA Is Not Properly Safeguarding Valuable Data from Past Missions

Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is responsible for space exploration and the management, archiving, and dissemination of space science data. Since 1958, the agency has spent about $2 billion on its space science program and successfully launched over 260 scientific missions. Data from these missions have expanded our understanding of the earth, its solar system, and the universe. Through these past missions NASA has acquired a massive volume of data stored on an estimated 1 million reels of magnetic tape for immediate and long-term scientific use. The nation's long-term ability to monitor changes in the earth's environment, such as the depletion of ozone and the destruction of tropical rain forests, may depend on data from early missions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA280705

Entities

People

  • Darlene D. Rush
  • David T. Schwartz
  • Mirko J. Dolak
  • Ronald W. Beers
  • Stephen A. Schwartz

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • California
  • Climate Change
  • Computers
  • Congress
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Processing
  • Data Storage Systems
  • Databases
  • Fire Protection
  • Information Systems
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Magnetic Tape
  • Organizational Structure
  • Records Management
  • Solar System
  • Space Sciences
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Computer Science/Computer Engineering/Data Science/Digital Signal Processing.
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Satellites