**The National Aeronautics and Space Administration**

**Fiscal Year 2002**

**Annual Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Report**

**I. Basic Information**

A.  Name, Title, Address and telephone number of person(s) to contact
    with questions

> about the report.

Stella Luna, FOIA Coordinator, Johnson Space Center, AP121, Houston, TX
77058, 281-483-8612

B. Electronic address for report on the World Wide Web.

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/news/foia.html

C. How to obtain a copy of the report in paper form.

Mail or fax written request to: Stella Luna

Address:2101 NASA Road 1, Houston, TX 77058, Code AP121

FAX Number: 281-483-4876

OR

Send e-mail request to: stella.luna1@jsc.nasa.gov

**II. How to Make a FOIA Request**

A. Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all individual Agency
components

and offices that receive FOIA requests.

NASA Headquarters

Attn: FOIA Office, Code PS

Washington DC 20546-0001

\(202\) 358-0205

Office of Inspector General

NASA Headquarters

Attn: FOIA Office, Code W

Washington DC 20546-0001

\(202\) 358-2575

Ames Research Center

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Stop 204-2

Moffett Field CA 94035

\(650\) 604-4190

Dryden Flight Research Center

Attn: FOIA Office

P. O. Box 273

Mail Stop 4839

Edwards CA 93523

\(805\) 258-2662

Goddard Space Flight Center

Attn: FOIA Office

Mail Code 213.1

Greenbelt MD 20771

\(301\) 358-0730

Johnson Space Center

Attn: FOIA Office

Mail Code AP121

Houston TX 77058

\(281\) 483-8612

Kennedy Space Center

Mail Code AB-F1

Kennedy Space Center FL 32899

\(407\) 867-2497

Langley Research Center

Attn: FOIA Office

Mail Stop 154

Hampton VA 23681

\(757\) 864-2497

Glenn Research Center

Attn: FOIA Office

Mail Code 0610

21000 Brookpark Road

Cleveland OH 44135

\(216\) 433-2755

Marshall Space Flight Center

Attn: FOIA Office

Mail Code CO50

Marshall Space Flight Center AL 35812

\(256\) 544-1837

Stennis Space Center

Attn: FOIA Office

Mail Code CA00 Building 1100

Stennis Space Center MS 39529-6000

B. Brief description of the agency's response-time ranges.

FOIA requests are routinely responded to in the allotted 20 working days
(between

80% and 90%). Those requests requiring more time depend on the amount of

information requested, legal issues involved and the availability of
records

requested (i.e., requests for records maintained at more than one Center
and Office of

Inspector General records that are maintained at various locations and
requiring

extensive review due to the investigative nature of the records). To
accommodate

the Electronic FOIA (E-FOIA) requirements, many of the documents
requested by

multiple requesters, OIG audit reports and other public documents are
now being

added to our E-FOIA Reading Rooms located on the Internet.

C. Brief description of why some requests are not granted.

Some requests are not granted based upon the exemptions allowed under
the FOIA;

information does not exist; request is withdrawn; it is referred to
another agency or

it is not an agency record.

**III. Definitions of Terms and Acronyms Used in the Report**

A. Agency-specific acronyms or other terms.

1.  NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

2\. HQ - Headquarters.

3\. ARC - Ames Research Center.

4\. DFRC - Dryden Flight Research Center.

5\. GSFC - Goddard Space Flight Center.

6\. JSC - Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

7.  KSC - John F. Kennedy Space Center.

8.  LaRC - Langley Research Center.

9\. GRC - Glenn Research Center.

10\. MSFC - George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.

11\. SSC - John C. Stennis Space Center.

12\. WFF - Wallops Flight Facility.

13\. OIG -- Office of Inspector General

14\. E-FOIA -- Electronic Freedom of Information Act

B. Basic terms, expressed in common terminology.

1\. FOIA/PA request \-- Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act

request. A FOIA request is generally a request for access to records

concerning a third party, an organization, or a particular topic of

interest. A Privacy Act request is a request for records concerning

oneself. Such requests are also treated as FOIA requests.

2\. Initial Request \-- a request to a federal agency for access to

records under the Freedom of Information Act.

3\. Appeal \-- a request to a federal agency asking that it review at

a higher administrative level a full denial or partial denial of

access to records under the Freedom of Information Act, or any

other FOIA determination such as a matter pertaining to fees.

4\. Processed Request or Appeal \-- a request or appeal for which an

agency has taken a final action on the request or the appeal in all

respects.

5\. Multi-track processing \-- a system in which simple requests

requiring relatively minimal review are placed in one processing

track and more voluminous and complex requests are placed in one

or more other tracks. Requests in each track are processed on a

first-in/first-out basis. A requester who has an urgent need for

records may request expedited processing (see below).

6\. Expedited processing \-- an agency will process a FOIA request on

an expedited basis when a requester has shown an exceptional

need or urgency for the records which warrants prioritization of

his or her request over other requests that were made earlier.

7\. Simple request \-- a FOIA request that an agency using

multi-track processing places in its fastest (non-expedited) track

based on the volume and/or simplicity of records requested.

8\. Complex request \-- a FOIA request that an agency using

multi-track processing places in a slower track based on the

volume and/or complexity of records requested.

9\. Grant \-- an agency decision to disclose all records in full in

response to a FOIA request.

10\. Partial grant \-- an agency decision to disclose a record in part

response to a FOIA request, deleting information determined to be

exempt under one or more of the FOIA\'s exemptions; or a decision

to disclose some records in their entireties, but to withhold others

in whole or in part.

11\. Denial \-- an agency decision not to release any part of a record

or records in response to a FOIA request because all the

information in the requested records is determined by the agency

to be exempt under one or more of the FOIA's exemptions, or for

some procedural reason (such as because no record is located in

response to a FOIA request).

12\. Time limits \-- the time period in the Freedom of Information

Act for an agency to respond to a FOIA request (ordinarily 20

working days from proper receipt of a \"perfected\" FOIA request).

13\. \"Perfected\" request \-- a FOIA request for records which

adequately describes the records sought, which has been received

by the FOIA office of the agency or agency component in possession

of the records, and for which there is no remaining question about

the payment of applicable fees.

14\. Exemption 3 statute \-- a separate federal statute prohibiting

the disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its

with holding under FOIA subsection (b)(3).

15\. Median number \-- the middle, not average, number. For

example, of 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7.

16\. Average number \-- the number obtained by dividing the sum of

a group of numbers by the quantity of numbers in the group. For

example, of 3, 7, and 14, the average number is 8.

**IV. Exemption 3 Statutes**

A. List of Exemption 3 statutes relied on by agency during current
fiscal year.

1\.

2\.

**V. Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests**

A. Numbers of initial requests.

1\. Number of requests pending as of end of preceding fiscal year:0

2\. Number of requests received during current fiscal year: 434

3\. Number of requests processed during current fiscal year: 434

4\. Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year: 0

B. Disposition of initial requests.

1\. Number of total grants: 273

2\. Number of partial grants: 134

3\. Number of denials: 5

a\. number of times each FOIA exemption used:

\(1\) Exemption 1: 0

\(2\) Exemption 2: 1

\(3\) Exemption 3: 4

\(4\) Exemption 4: 120

\(5\) Exemption 5: 11

\(6\) Exemption 6: 3

\(7\) Exemption 7(A): 0

\(8\) Exemption 7(B): 0

\(9\) Exemption 7(C): 0

\(10\) Exemption 7(D): 0

\(11\) Exemption 7(E): 0

\(12\) Exemption 7(F): 0

\(13\) Exemption 8: 0

\(14\) Exemption 9: 0

4\. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total):22

a\. no records: 8

b\. referrals: 2

c\. request withdrawn: 6

d\. fee-related reason: 0

e\. records not reasonably described: 3

f\. not a proper request for some other reason: 0

g\. not an agency record: 1

h\. duplicate request: 2

i\. other: 0

Required the creation of

records:

Mail received through FOIA e-mail

and handled outside FOIA:

**VI. Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests**

A. Numbers of appeals.

1\. Number of appeals received during fiscal year: N/A

2\. Number of appeals processed during fiscal year: N/A

B. Disposition of appeals.

1\. Number completely upheld: N/A

2\. Number partially reversed: N/A

3\. Number completely reversed: N/A

a\. Number of times each FOIA exemption used:N/A

\(1\) Exemption 1:

\(2\) Exemption 2:

\(3\) Exemption 3:

\(4\) Exemption 4:

\(5\) Exemption 5:

\(6\) Exemption 6:

\(7\) Exemption 7(A):

\(8\) Exemption 7(B):

\(9\) Exemption 7(C):

\(10\) Exemption 7(D):

\(11\) Exemption 7(E):

\(12\) Exemption 7(F):

\(13\) Exemption 8:

\(14\) Exemption 9:

4\. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total):N/A

a.  no records:

b.  referrals

c.  request withdrawn

d.  fee-related reason

e.  records not reasonably described

f.  not a proper FOIA request for some other reason

g.  not an agency record

h.  duplicate request

i.  other (specify)

**VII. Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests**

A. Median processing time for requests processed during the year.

1\. Simple requests.

a\. number of requests processed: 434

b\. median number of days to process: 9

2\. Complex requests (specify for any and all tracks used).

a\. number of requests processed: 0

b\. median number of days to process: 0

3\. Requests accorded expedited processing.

a\. number of requests processed: 0

b\. median number of days to process: 0

B. Status of pending requests.

1\. Number of requests pending as of end of current fiscal year: 0

2\. Median number of days that such requests were pending as of

that date: 0

**VIII. Comparisons with Previous Year(s)** [FY 2000]{.underline} [FY
2001]{.underline}

VIII. 

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A.  Comparison of numbers of requests received 373 434

B.  Comparison of numbers of requests processed 373 434

C.  Comparison of median numbers of days requests

were pending as of end of fiscal year 0 0

D.  Other statistics significant to agency

E.  Other narrative statements describing agency efforts to improve
    timeliness of FOIA performance and to make records available to the
    public (e.g. backlog-reduction efforts; specification of average
    number of hours per processed request; training activities; public
    availability of new categories of records)

**IX. Costs/FOIA Staffing**

A. Staffing levels.

1\. Number of full-time FOIA personnel: 1

2\. Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties

(in total work-years): 1

3\. Total number of personnel (in work-years): 2

B. Total costs.

1\. FOIA processing: \$87,798.00

2\. Litigation-related activities: 0

3\. Total costs: \$87,798.00

4\. Comparison with previous year(s). \$81,421.00

**X. Fees**

A. Total amount of fees collected by agency for processing requests:
\$14,433.90

B. Percentage of total costs: 16.44%

**XI. FOIA Regulations (Including Fee Schedule)**

Available electronically on our FOIA Web page at
http//www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/FOIA/.