National Aeronautics and Space Administration

FY 2003 Annual Freedom of Information Act Report

Amended: January 29, 2004

I. Basic Information

A. Name, title, address, and telephone number of person(s) to be contacted with questions about 

the report. 

Stephen L. McConnell 

Freedom of Information Act Officer

 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

300 E Street, SW, Code: P-FOIA, Washington, DC 20546

 Tel ephone: 202.358.0068

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

www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/FOIA 

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

 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Attention: Code P, FOIA Office

300 E Street, SW, Code: P-FOIA 

Washington, DC 20546-001 

Facsimile: 202.358.4331

Email: foia@hq.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 P 

Washington, DC 20546-0001 

foia@hq.nasa.gov 

 

NASA Ames Research Center 

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Stop 19-40

Moffett Field, CA 94035 

foia@arc.nasa.gov 

NASA Glen Research Center 

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Code 0610

21000 Brookpark Road 

Cleveland, OH 44135 

foia@grc.nasa.gov 

NASA Johnson Space Center 

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Code AP2

Houston, TX 77058 

foia@jsc.nasa.gov 

 NASA, Office of the Inspector General

Attn: FOIA Office, Code W

Washington, DC 20546-0001

foiaoig@hq.nasa.gov 

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

Attn: FOIA Office, PO Box 273

Edwards, CA 93523

foia@dfrc.nasa.gov 

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Code 213.1

Greenbelt, MD 20771

foia@gsfc.nasa.gov

 

NASA Kennedy Space Center

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Code AB-F1

Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899

foia@ksc.nasa.gov 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
NASA Langley Research Center 

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Stop 154

Hampton, VA 23681 

foia@larc.nasa.gov 

NASA Stennis Space Center

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Code CA100

Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000

foia@ssc.nasa.gov 

 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Attn: FOIA Office, Mail Code C050

Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

foia@msfc.nasa.gov 

 

 

 

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

Over 50% of all NASA initial FOIA requests in the multi -tracked processing system were processed within:

Expedited Simple Complex

5.6 days 18.6 days 26.1 days

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

Only 2% of all initial FOIA requests processed by this Agency were denied in full. Most of these requests were due to 

information dealing with Export Control, ITAR and Proprietary Commercial information. 

Also, 29% of our initial FOIA requests were denied for other reasons such as “no records”, referral to other agencies, 

withdrawn by the requester and duplicate requests.

III. Definitions of Terms and Acronyms Used in the Report 

A. Agency-specific acronyms or other terms:

NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration HQ – NASA Headquarters 

ARC – Ames Research Center DFRC – Dryden Flight Research Center

GSPC – Goddard Space Flight Center JSC – Johnson Space Flight Center

KSC – Kennedy Space Flight Center LaRC – Langley Research Center

GRC – Glen Research Center MSFC – Marshall Space Flight Center

SSC – Stennis Space Center OIG – Office of the Inspector General

E-FOIA – Electronic Freedom of Information Act GC- Office of General Counsel

 

B. Basic terms, expressed in common terminology:

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. (All requests for access to records, 

regardless of which law is cited by the requester, are included in this report.)

Initial Request – a request to a federal agency for access to records under the Freedom of Information Act. 

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.

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. 

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). 

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. 

Simple request – a FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places in its fastest (nonexpedited) track 

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

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.
Grant – an agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a FOIA request.

Partial grant – an agency decision to disclose a record in part in 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. 

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).

 

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). 

"Perfected" request – a FOIA request for records that 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. 

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). 

Median number – the middle, not average, number. For example, of 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7. 

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 

Exemption 3 statutes relied on by agency during current fiscal year, brief description of type(s) of 

information withheld under each statute, and if the statute has been upheld. 

5 USC 

§638(j)(2)

Contracts, Withheld data generated by contractors who elected to retain their data 

rights in accordance with the retention period agreed to under the contract. No

10 USC 

§2305(g)

Procurement, Withheld unsuccessful proposals for competitive procurements and 

those portions of successful proposals that were not incorporated into the contract. No

22 USC §2751 Arms Export Control Act, technical data withheld according to regulations 

establishing lists or categories of technical data that may not be exported. No

41 USC §423 Public Contracts, Prohibited the release of source selection information before the 

award of a contract to which the information relates. No

V. Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests 

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

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

38 27 1 11 6 38 0 1 19 1 0 142*

2.

* While auditing our FY02 annual report, we found that the preceding FY requests pending were +5 from the 137 that was reported.

Number of requests received during current fiscal year: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

433 30 140 55 64 156 494 193 114 202 57 1938

3. Number of requests processed during current fiscal year: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

422 43 141 60 67 166 431 190 99 202 57 1878

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

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

49 14 0 6 3 28 63 4 34 1 0 202

A. Disposition of initial requests. 

1. Number of total grants: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

156 9 26 21 23 76 289 61 32 74 26 793

2. Number of partial grants: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

37 19 74 15 19 49 118 28 26 81 19 485

3. Number of denials: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

6 5 4 2 2 2 3 4 1 5 1 35
a. Number of times each FOIA exemption used: 

Exemption 1: 01 Exemption 2: 30 Exemption 3: 40 Exemption 4: 351

Exemption 5: 41 Exemption 6: 33 Exemption 7(A): 10 Exemption 7(B): 00 

Exemption 7(C): 16 Exemption 7(D): 11 Exemption 7(E): 09 Exemption 7(F): 00

Exemption 8: 00 Exemption 9: 00

4. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total): 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

223 10 37 22 23 39 21 97 40 42 11 565

a. No records: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

44 5 7 15 7 12 0 32 7 8 6 143

b. Referrals: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

134 0 8 2 1 11 7 34 10 19 4 230

c. Request withdrawn: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

9 5 7 3 13 12 11 8 3 11 0 82

d. Fee-related reason: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3

e. Records not reasonably described: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

6 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 11

f. Not a proper FOIA request for some other reason: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

11 0 1 0 1 0 0 9 0 2 0 24

g. Not an agency record: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

4 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 3 2 1 14

h. Duplicate request: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

14 0 12 0 0 3 0 3 1 0 0 33

i. Other (specify): 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

0 0 0 2 1 0 0 7 15 0 0 25

V.B.4i. Required the creation of records 7

V.B.4i. Mail received via FOIA email and handled outside FOIA 18

VI. Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA Requests

A. Numbers of appeals.

1. Number of appeals received during fiscal year: 20

2. Number of appeals processed during fiscal year: 20

B. Disposition of appeals. 

1. Number completely upheld: 14 

2. Number partially reversed: 4

3. Number completely reversed: 2

a. Number of times each FOIA exemption used: 

Exemption 1: 0 Exemption 2: 3 Exemption 3: 0 Exemption 4: 2

Exemption 5: 2 Exemption 6: 1 Exemption 7(A): 0 Exemption 7(B): 0

Exemption 7(C): 0 Exemption 7(D): 0 Exemption 7(E): 0 Exemption 7(F): 0

Exemption 8: 0 Exemption 9: 0

4. Other reasons for nondisclosure (total): 0

a. No records: 0

b. Referrals: 0

c. Request withdrawn: 0

d. Fee-related reason: 0 

e. Records not reasonably described: 0

f. Not a proper FOIA request for some other reason: 0

g. Not an agency record: 0

h. Duplicate request: 0

i. Other (specify): 0
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: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

175 43 136 53 26 9 320 72 92 142 57 1125

b. Median number of days to process: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC

35 135 31 18 13 7 6 7 28 22 19

2. Complex requests. 

a. Number of requests processed: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

245 0 5 0 41 157 111 118 7 18 0 702

b. Median number of days to process: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC

26 0 8 0 30 39 30 20 36 50 0

3. Requests accorded expedited processing. 

a. Number of requests processed: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

2 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 42 0 51

b. Median number of days to process: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC

19 0 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 37 0

B. Status of pending requests. 

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

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

49 14 0 6 3 28 63 4 34 1 0 202

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

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC

142 397 0 59 74 0 140 73 108 72 0

VIII. Comparisons with Previous Year(s) (Optional)

A. Comparison of numbers of requests received: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

219/433 NA/30 145/140 37/55 54/64 180/156 434/494 130/193 133/114 283/202 58/57 1673/1938

B. Comparison of numbers of requests processed: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

253/422 NA/43 164/141 35/60 55/67 156/166 434/431 132/190 131/99 282/202 58/57 1700/1878

C. Comparison of median numbers of days requests were pending as of end of Fiscal Year: 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC

124/142 NA/74 1/0 79/34 74/14 38/28 0/63 44/73 49/108 90/72 0/0

D. Other statistics significant to agency: 

On February 1, 2003 the world witnessed a major catastrophe that had an immediate impact on NASA’s FOIA program. 

That day the Columbia Space Shuttle was lost over Texas, while returning from its mission in space. The influx of 

requests caused this agency to create a separate electronic reading room for documents that were responsive to those 

specific requests about mission STS-107 and the Space Shuttle Program. This agency received 51 requests for 

expeditious processing and we granted 51 of those requested actions; none were declined, most related to the 

Columbia Accident involving media requesters.

 
E. Other narrative statements describing agency efforts to improve timeliness of FOIA 

performance and to make records available to the:

Additional resources were added to the reviewing of responsive agency records after February 1st. NASA uploaded over 

210 responsive records to the agency’s web site, relating to the Columbia Space Shuttle and its STS-107 mission. The 

Agency also decided to waive, on a discretionary basis, the (b)(5) exemption as applied to pre-accident records and 

placed these on the web site.

IX. Costs/FOIA Staffing 

A. Staffing levels.

1. Number of full-time FOIA personnel: 

HQ OIG GC ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 9

2. Number of personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties (in work-years): 

HQ OIG GC ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

.7 1 1 1 .65 .75 1.05 .5 1 2.1 0 .5 10.25

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

HQ OIG GC ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

3.7 1 1 1 .65 .75 4.05 1.5 2 2.1 1 .5 19.25

B. Total costs.

1. FOIA processing (including appeals): 

HQ OIG ARC DFRC GRC GSFC JSC KSC LaRC MSFC SSC NASA Total

259,961 21,845 80,000 19,311 51,689 172,317 94,540 77,378 95,830 90,798 30,000 $993,669

2. Litigation-related activities: $104,336.00

3. Total costs: $1,098,005.00

X. Fees 

A. Total amount of fees collected by agency for processing requests: $24,713

B. Percentage of total costs: 2.3% 

 

XI. FOIA Regulations (Including Fee Schedule)

www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/FOIA