National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

IT Talk

July - September 2018 Volume 8 • Issue 3

The Big Data Wave
IT Talk

Jul - Sep 2018 Volume 8 • Issue 3

Office of the CIO

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20546

Chief Information Officer

Renee Wynn

Editor & Publication Manager

Eldora Valentine

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Michael Porterfield

Copy Editor

Meredith Isaacs

IT Talk is an official publication of the 

Office of the Chief Information Officer 

of the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration, Headquarters, 

Washington, D.C. It is published 

by the OCIO office for all NASA 

employees and external audiences.

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To read IT Talk online visit:

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Message from

the NASA CIO

Using Advanced Data 

Analytics To Maximize 

Value of Voice & Text Data

Automated Data

Tagging Project

NASA Ames CIO Coauthors 

Award-Winning Paper

Office 365

In this Issue
Every hour, day, and year, NASA gathers millions of data-points (a.k.a Big 

Data) from our active missions. The collection rate is growing by leaps and 

bounds, handling, storing, and managing these data is a massive challenge. 

Our proprietary data is among our most valuable assets, and its strategic 

importance in our research and science is enormous. NASA is committed 

to making our data as accessible as possible, both for the benefit of our 

work and for the betterment of humankind. In this issue, we’ll explore why it 

matters how the Agency uses big data.

NASA also relies heavily on big data to help the Agency with artificial 

intelligence (AI). By applying AI and machine learning, satellites control these 

systems seamlessly, making real-time decisions without awaiting instruction. 

We’ll take a look at how AI is helping NASA engineers to develop software 

and algorithms to meet the specific requirements of missions.

And soon, NASA will be migrating to Microsoft Office 365, offering a breadth 

of capability to our users. The suite allows employees access to e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks through a 

Web browser on any authorized NASA computer with a PIV badge or Agency Smart Badge. I’m excited about this 

initiative because this technology is industry-leading for our workforce. This cloud-based e-mail, calendaring, 

and collaboration service supports NASA’s plans to enhance our Agency’s security posture.

Finally, this quarter, we are pleased to highlight some prestigious industry honors earned at the Centers. I’m so 

proud of all the hard work happening right now. We are making a difference in leading the transformation of IT at 

NASA! So I hope you enjoy reading this issue!

CIO Center Visits. Clockwise from 

top: CIO Face-to-Face at Stennis 

Space Center, April 10-12; with 

Langley Research Center’s Acting 

CIO Catherine Prohaska and NASA 

SAISO Mike Witt; and with Federal 

CIO Suzette Kent and NASA Shared 

Services Center CIO Danny Harvill.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2018 3

Message from the NASA CIO 
NASA Ames CIO Coauthors 

Award-Winning Paper

By Penny Hubbard, Communication Specialist, Ames Research Center

Ames Research Center (ARC) CIO Jerry Davis, 

with Krishna Sampigethaya of United Technologies Research Center and NASA’s Parimal 

Kopardekar, took first place in the “Best of 

Track” category, and second place overall, at 

April’s Integrated Communications Navigation 

and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference. The conference focuses on providing an understanding 

of domestic and international programs, implementation strategies, standards development, 

research, and ICNS technologies.

Their paper, “Cyber Security of Unmanned 

Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM),” 

provides a comprehensive glimpse into Small 

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) and the 

compelling impacts to society as they become 

mainstream. Simply put, the millions of small 

Unmanned Aircraft Systems, along with other 

aircraft of various shapes and capabilities, will 

soon be flying at low altitudes in urban environments—and it is critical to ensure that they fly 

safely, predictably, and efficiently.

While research into the challenges, inherent to 

UAS Traffic Management (UTM), are being explored, cybersecurity considerations have been 

largely missing. This paper bridges this gap 

and addresses UTM cybersecurity needs and 

issues. It contributes a comprehensive framework to understand, identify, classify, and assess security threats to UTM. Promising threat 

mitigations, major challenges, and research 

directions are discussed to secure UTM today 

and into the future.

Congratulations to Krishna, Parimal, and Jerry! 

They have coauthored an award-winning paper 

and established significant research, policies, 

and processes to secure UTM and sUAS for the 

benefit of society.

Read the award-winning paper:

https://intranet.share.nasa.gov/arc/

it/Documents/2018-04-ICNS/Cybersecurity_of_UTM_Paper.pdf

View their Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) presentation:

https://intranet.share.nasa.gov/arc/

it/Documents/2018-04-ICNS/Cybersec_UTM_ICNS_2018_Presentation.pdf

JPL IT Directorate 

Recognized 

with CIO 100, 

Computerworld 

Best Places To 

Work in IT Honors

By Whitney Haggins, IT Communication Strategist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s 

(JPL’s) IT Directorate was recently recognized with two industry honors.

On May 1, JPL was named a 2018 CIO 

100 Honoree by CIO magazine. The CIO 

100, now in its 31st year, honors 100 

organizations that have distinguished 

themselves through their innovative use 

of technology to create business value. 

This is JPL’s seventh consecutive appearance on the CIO 100. The honorees 

will be celebrated at a gala during the 

CIO 100 Symposium in Palos Verdes, CA, 

August 13–15, and they will be profiled 

in the August issue of CIO magazine.

On June 18, JPL was named one of the 

100 Best Places to Work in IT by IDG’s 

Computerworld magazine and ranked 

number 19 among large companies. This 

is JPL’s sixth consecutive appearance on 

the prestigious list, a ranking of the top 

100 work environments for information 

technology professionals by Computerworld magazine, now in its 25th year. 

The list is compiled based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, career development, training, and 

retention. In addition, Computerworld 

conducts extensive surveys of IT workers, and their responses factor heavily in 

determining the rankings.

Jim Rinaldi, JPL CIO, said: “We are excited and honored to again be recipients 

of these industry honors. We strive to 

provide IT that matters and appreciate 

that we can present some of the exciting things we are doing and receive recognition. It’s truly gratifying to know that 

we have a work environment where our 

people enjoy what they are doing.”

NASA Headquarters’ Information Technology and Communications Division (ITCD) held “A Day 

with ITCD” on Wednesday, June 20. They shared IT and communications products and services, 

with on-the-spot consultations, demos, and workshops. Photo Credit: NASA/Garrett Shea

4 www.nasa.gov
An Agency-Wide Approach to 

Software Asset Management

By Kellie White, Communications Specialist, Marshall Space Flight Center

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is taking a proactive approach to the challenge of software asset management.

NASA needs a comprehensive strategy 

and approach to address the full software life cycle for both new and existing software licenses for cloud and noncloud platforms, including non-licensed 

or free software. The foundation for 

this approach was established with the 

NASA Interim Directive (NID) 7150.113, 

Software License Management, issued 

in 2017. The Enterprise License Management Team (ELMT), established in 

2008, provides another key component of the overall strategy. Now, we 

are prepared to build on the foundation 

by establishing, regularly tracking, and 

maintaining a comprehensive inventory 

of NASA software licenses.

Who is responsible for managing software at NASA? Everyone who uses 

software at NASA has a responsibility 

to ensure that the software they use or 

purchase is

1. approved for use by NASA,

2. secure, and

3. being used in accordance with 

the terms and conditions of the 

license agreement.

What software does NASA need to 

track?

1. Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) 

software and software license 

types (e.g., perpetual licenses, 

software maintenance, term 

licenses, subscriptions, shareware, 

software as a service [SaaS], 

open source, freeware, and 

demonstration/trial software that 

is intended to be deployed within 

NASA that may not have an initial 

acquisition cost) and

2. Modified commercial-off-the-shelf 

software (MOTS).

The Agency Software Manager (ASM) 

role recently transitioned from the NASA 

Shared Services Center (NSSC) to the 

Applications Program (AP) Office. The 

AP was assigned the task to implement 

an effective Agency-wide Software Asset Management process and appointed Jane Maples to lead the effort. While 

the concept of software management 

is not new to any enterprise, it is a difficult undertaking for an agency the size 

of NASA, with numerous geographical 

locations and process owners across 

multiple directorates.

Fundamental to beginning the process 

and achieving success, is understanding the problem. Currently, any software 

deployed within the Agency, regardless 

of its function, injects risk into NASA’s 

infrastructure from a cybersecurity 

and software compliance perspective, which has the potential to cost 

NASA millions per year in waste, inefficiency, and noncompliance fees. To 

decrease this risk, NASA must deploy 

an Agency-wide approach to software 

management that provides visibility and 

efficiency throughout the software life 

cycle, beginning with planning and continuing through retirement and disposition. Knowing the Agency’s inventory 

of software provides multiple benefits, 

some of which are listed below.

Cost avoidance/savings

• Increased opportunity to reduce 

software cost and avoid paying 

significantly higher prices

• Maximization of software 

investments without purchasing 

new products and support

• Decreased costs for new projects 

and maintaining existing systems

• Cost avoidance on audits 

and cyber threats

Cyber threat detection

• Increased awareness of cyber 

threats to NASA’s data (i.e., 

mission and personnel)

• Quick removal of legacy IT 

hardware/software, which 

decreases threat possibility

• Identification and mitigation of 

outdated/unsupported software

Audit prevention

• Reduced frequency of audits, or 

of negative outcomes from audits

• Compliance with Government 

Accountability Office (GAO) 

and Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) guidance on 

software license management

Most everyone would agree that the 

benefits to be gained are significant, 

but realizing those benefits will take 

substantial work. How do we get to the 

benefits? The seven steps in the software license life cycle are depicted in 

the picture below.

Utilizing a stakeholder-inclusive approach with representation from multiple 

Centers and disciplines, the resulting 

two-year implementation of this strategy will provide the Agency with a centralized, standardized, streamlined lifecycle process for managing software 

that delivers service to the customer in 

a timely manner and that is automated 

to the greatest extent possible. We will 

have greater insight into the software 

entering and existing in NASA’s environment; a comprehensive software inventory; the ability to track and maintain 

software licenses, maintenance, and 

cost; an improved NASA security posture; and the elimination of unnecessary 

costs, duplication, and waste.

If you have questions related to the 

Agency Software Lifecycle Management approach developed by the AP, 

please contact the Agency Software 

Manager (ASM), Jane Maples, via email at jane.maples@nasa.gov.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2018 5
Using Advanced Data Analytics To Maximize the 

Value of NASA’s Voice and Text Data

By Justin Gosses, Data Scientist, Johnson Space Center; Anthony Buonomo, Data Scientist; Andrew Adrian, PhD, Data Scientist; Brian Thomas, PhD, Data Scientist, NASA Headquarters

NASA has vast amounts of data stored as text 

or audio. Oftentimes, gaining insight into these 

data requires humans to read or listen to many 

files and summarize the results. This process 

is expensive and, therefore, precludes many 

potentially useful types of analyses simply because these analyses are too costly, too boring, 

or too time-consuming. Considering that we will 

never be able to hire enough folks to handle the 

avalanche of data that already exists, let alone 

the new data that are coming in year after year, 

we need to find a better solution.

Fortunately, recent advances in natural-language processing (NLP) and machine learning 

(ML) are helping to meet this need, and we 

are now poised to unlock the value of NASA’s 

vast amounts data. NLP, a subfield of machine 

learning, is concerned with how to program 

computers to analyze large amounts of naturallanguage data, including both human speech 

and written text. If you have ever used Google 

Translate, created a reminder with Siri, or used 

grammar checking in Microsoft Word, you have 

interfaced with an NLP program.

The amount of data that NLP will make available 

is daunting, but ML provides us with the means 

to understand all of this new information. ML 

allows us to teach or program the computer 

using the data itself. The resulting model can 

approximate complex behavior that would, using traditional approaches, be very difficult and 

expensive to model. ML can be applied to data 

of many types, including raw text, text extracted 

via speech-to-text, or a subset of the whole text 

extracted via NLP. There are many different ML 

algorithms that one might choose to apply to 

solve a given problem, and it is not always clear 

which of the possible choices will be the best 

solution.

When applying both NLP and ML, a trained data 

scientist can help. Our team of data scientists 

has been working with partners here at the 

6 www.nasa.gov
Agency to apply these technologies to help 

solve NASA mission problems. We have identified avenues for speeding up analyses and 

improving the accuracy of business processes, 

and we have pointed out ways to reduce costs 

while enabling our workforce to focus on higher-order tasks. In this article, we highlight a few 

of our projects.

Speech-To-Text

Speech recognition has a long history. Although people have sometimes been disappointed when the technology fails to live up to 

human-level expectations, we have found that 

building good speech-to-text projects is often 

an exercise in matching each speech-to-text 

technology’s strengths and weaknesses to the 

requirements of the use case. We have found 

that key criteria when picking a speech-to-text 

engine include whether computation occurs 

in the cloud, on an intranet, or on a local machine; whether the tool is geared for keyword 

tagging, command and control, or transcription 

tasks; accuracy during the use case; and how 

important is it that we are able to update the 

speech model with specific background noise 

or NASA-specific words.

Proof-of-concept applications we have developed include adding voice control to a Web site 

with a real-time map of the International Space 

Station’s (ISS’s) current position. Speech-to-text 

on a Web page represents a new user interface 

that might be useful when hands are busy or 

using a mouse and keyboard is inconvenient. 

WebAssembly, a way to convert C code to JavaScript, was used to create a system where all 

speech-to-text computation happened inside 

the local browser. This approach paves the way 

for building small speech-to-text applications 

without requiring lengthy security reviews, 

elevated privileges to install software, or the 

security implications of sending data between 

computers or outside the network. The data do 

not move outside the control of the user, and no 

software is installed.

Another proof-of-concept in this area involved 

writing code to scan through spacewalk training videos from the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and create data visualizations of tagged 

keywords. Having a visual representation of 

the clustering of key terms linked back to their 

place in the video sped up searching in what 

would normally be a human-intensive task of 

listening to the videos and taking notes.

Research Access

One of our text-based natural-language processing projects is building a service to automatically recommend keywords in NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) documents.

The STI program would derive great value out 

of a good keyword recommendation system. 

Why? Because they are tasked to organize and 

make accessible a wealth of NASA research. 

The standard mechanism for doing so is by 

tagging keywords to papers. There are upwards 

of 25,000 official STI NASA concepts, many of 

which only apply to small/niche areas of the 

overall collected work. Moreover, this official 

set only scratches the surface of the NASA 

concept space. A few individuals cannot possibly understand and summon to mind all of 

the keywords that apply to the broad wealth of 

knowledge being produced at NASA.

By providing an ML model to automatically 

recommend tags, we can (at least) provide an 

initial filter so that the folks who are assigning 

tags have some help. For clarity, this system 

(or one like it) is not set to replace people; it 

is only set to augment their workflow. It is an 

assistant—a “bionic arm,” if you will, for the 

stewards of STI.

This work is poised to free up time for these 

stewards and allow them to direct their mental 

energy toward tasks that only they can do—the 

careful curation of a great source of information in order to educate, spread knowledge, and 

reduce duplication of research.

E-mail Records Classification

Since 2008, NASA has collected and archived 

over 11 million e-mails from certain “Capstone” 

officials. These e-mails contain a mix of Federal 

records and non-records that must be sorted 

before these e-mails can become part of the 

public record. For example, the subject “Booster Thrust Test Results” would likely be a record, 

whereas “Late to work” would likely not be a 

record. The manual reading and sorting of these 

11 million messages is estimated to take some 

23 years of human effort—and by the end of 

that time, we would have many more e-mails 

to sort! Therefore, we require an automated, 

“smart” solution for this problem.

Our team has developed a smart solution that 

reads and sorts NASA business e-mails “automagically,” with up to a 96 percent accuracy 

rate. This outstanding accuracy rate is a result 

of ML—the process of teaching a computer to 

find statistical patterns in data without being 

explicitly programmed to do so. By utilizing ML 

in our development, this solution will enable 

us to save thousands of dollars in storage and 

transfer costs as we switch to preserving an 

increasing amount of sent and received e-mail.

Moving Forward

When domain experts and data scientists 

work together to tackle a problem, we can 

create solutions that free up time and mental 

energy, enabling our workforce to focus on 

higher-impact tasks. Looking forward, many 

of the projects in this space have applications 

wider than the teams and use cases they were 

originally built for. If NASA could enable more 

sharing of the labeled training datasets, methods, code, and IT infrastructure for executing 

these types of projects, it would pay back many 

times over. Toward this end, our Agency Data 

Analytics Team has been working to understand 

the needs for advanced data analytics at the 

Agency and to present the case for the adoption 

of needed techniques (such as ML and NLP) 

and the development of the requisite strategy, 

policy, and technical infrastructure that will help 

drive us toward a vision of a future NASA where 

workers can all leverage these benefits in a 

cost-effective manner.

Currently at NASA 

and want to get 

involved?

Check out these working groups:

Science Mission Directorate and OCIO’s 

Big Data Working Group: contact John 

Sprague (john.sprague@nasa.gov)

Artificial Intelligence Community of 

Interest: contact James McClellan 

(james.b.mcclellan@nasa.gov)

Aeronautics Research Mission 

Directorate’s Data Analytics Community 

of Interest: contact Yuri Gawdiak 

(yuri.o.gawdiak@nasa.gov)

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2018 7
Capitalize On Data Management, 

Access, And Innovation

NASA’s IT Strategic Plan – Goal 2

By Jonathan Walsh, IT Strategic Planner, and Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, NASA 

Headquarters

Data and information are cornerstones of NASA’s past, present, and future missions and discoveries. The Agency’s 2018 Strategic Plan depends on a robust capability to conduct research and 

interpret data in order to accelerate decision making and discoveries. NASA’s IT Strategic Plan 

for Fiscal Years 2018-2021 provides the focus needed for the Agency to manage IT as a strategic 

resource to securely unleash the power of data. The use of data to amplify the benefits of NASA’s 

missions and stewardship requires the ability to transform NASA’s data into insights and increase 

secure data accessibility through innovation.

To achieve this strategic goal, NASA will establish Agency-wide data standards supported by secure, integrated data search and analytics capabilities to accelerate insights and improve the quality of decision making across NASA’s complex data-rich environment. We will also investigate new 

technologies, take risks on disruptive ideas, and invest in operationalizing prototypes aligned with 

mission needs to increase secure data access and usability. 

Through data management, the use of analytics, modernized infrastructures, and collaboration, 

NASA will remain a leader in Federal data sharing (open.nasa.gov; data.nasa.gov), increase data 

availability and mobility, and innovate with projects such as financial data visualizations, extravehicular activity (EVA) suit data management, and scientific research. 

NASA’s IT Strategic Plan outlines the Agency’s IT goals, objectives, strategies, and metrics for Fiscal 

Years 2018 – 2021. The plan focuses NASA’s IT community on strategic IT priorities, such as data 

management, accessibility, and innovation, that support achievement of NASA’s 2018 Strategic 

Plan and its missions. The Agency uses IT to share NASA’s results and deliver strategic IT capabilities that drive discovery while increasing quality, productivity, mission safety, and cost optimization. 

Check out NASA’s IT Strategic Plan here: https://www.nasa.gov/ocio/itsp

Questions? - agency-itsp@mail.nasa.gov

Automated Data 

Tagging Project

By David Kelldorf, JSC Chief Technology 

Officer, and Truong Le, Data Architect, 

Johnson Space Center

Last year, Johnson Space Center (JSC) developed 

the first Center-wide IT planning activity and created the JSC Master IT Plan (available at https://

inside.nasa.gov/ocio/ocio-news/what-will-it-jsclook-2037), which aligns with the 20-year JSC 

Center Plan. From this planning vision, three planning goals emerged to guide the development 

process: a collaborative and evolving IT environment, secure and accessible data, and a flexible 

workforce.

To support the first two goals, the Information 

Resources Directorate (IRD) at JSC initiated the 

Automated Data Tagging Project in June 2018. In 

this project, a prototype is underway to investigate 

mechanisms to automatically identify and categorize unstructured data. This initiative is designed 

to make unstructured data discoverable and accessible and to identify high-value assets (HVA).

The current state of NASA data presents challenges in securing data, engineering security controls, 

and managing data overall. The strategic goals of 

the Automated Data Tagging Project that address 

these challenges include simplifying discovery 

and use for authorized users while providing the 

appropriate degree of security and control relevant to data categories, empowering data-driven 

strategic decisions and intentional IT operating 

model choices, right-sizing storage costs while 

enhancing monitoring and management, and developing data categories that align with Agency 

and network data loss prevention tools.

The Automated Data Tagging Project will develop 

data models and connectors for file shares and 

SharePoint storage. Testing will focus on IRDowned data shares and SharePoint repositories as 

a microcosm of the JSC data challenges. The goal 

is to discover and unify the view of unstructured 

data and develop strategies to store, share, and 

tag the information.

Partnering with the Agency team that has been 

developing tools for the Extravehicular Activity 

(EVA) Office, IRD will test developed tools for applicability on corporate unstructured data.

The Automated Data Tagging Project will investigate 

mechanisms for HVA and provide recommendations 

for JSC and Agency architectures. The outcome of 

this project has the potential to scale to other NASA 

Field Centers, making NASA data more discoverable 

and accessible while driving space exploration.

This visualization of NASA’s IT Strategic Plan highlights 

how the plan emphasizes data and information. The more 

a word was used, the larger and bolder it is seen here.

8 www.nasa.gov
Big Data Big Think @GRC

By Terry Jackson, Associate CIO for Technology, Data & Innovation Division, NASA Headquarters

NASA held a Big Data Big Think at Glenn Research Center (GRC) from May 22 through 24. 

A very diverse group of subject matter experts 

(SMEs)—including members of the Aeronautics 

Research Mission Directorate (ARMD), Human 

Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate 

(HEOMD), Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE), 

Centers, and many others from across NASA—

were in attendance at this joint meeting sponsored by the Office of the Chief Information 

Officer (OCIO) and the Science Mission Directorate (SMD). This was the sixth gathering since 

the first one held at Langley Research Center 

(LaRC) in October 2014. The Big Data Big Think 

meetings provide a forum where SMEs share 

what they have been working on and collaborate on solutions to NASA’s data challenges.

The meeting was opened by GRC Deputy Director Dr. Marla E. Pérez-Davis, followed by GRC 

Chief Information Officer (CIO) Sean Gallagher 

and other GRC representatives. Experts from 

around the Agency discussed science and engineering projects, high-performance computing and analytics, IBM Watson projects, Internet 

of Management Things (IoMT), scientific workflows, secure code sharing, and NASA WorldWind. Special Lightning Talks were conducted, 

giving programs and Centers ten minutes to 

share best practices; OCE also helped lead a 

data roadmap discussion. The keynote address 

was given by Ted Friedman, a Gartner data expert. During the conference, participants were 

treated to a visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art 

innovation event, hosted by the museum’s CIO, 

Jane Alexander. The team also toured the GRC 

Simulated Lunar Operations (SLOPE) Lab to see 

the latest in rover technology.

Many thanks to the GRC CIO and staff for hosting this event!

Attendees at NASA’s Big Data Big Think meeting 

in Cleveland, OH. Photo by Herb Schilling, GRC

Visitors tour the Cleveland Museum of Art 

event. At center, using the interactive touch 

display, is NASA data scientist Dr. Brian 

Thomas. Photo by Herb Schilling, GRC

Comprehensive Digital Transformation Initiative Ignites Data Science 

Adoption at NASA’s Langley Research Center

By Jeremy Yagle, Technical Lead, LaRC Data Science Team; Corey Portalatin-Berrien, LaRC Data Science Team; and Ed McLarney, Strategic Lead, 

LaRC Data Science Team—Langley Research Center

Data science is the convergence of statistics, 

social sciences, and computer sciences. The 

discipline aims to discover the underlying value 

in data, from identifying trends to analyzing 

massive datasets for anomalies. Data science 

includes the subdomains of machine learning, 

big data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). 

Speech-to-text on smartphones, online shopping recommendation systems, and smartwatch fitness analysis are just a small sampling 

of technologies that have rapidly become an integral part of daily life.

Significant advances in data science methods 

have demonstrated the potential to transform 

the disciplines of science and engineering. 

Novel approaches, paired with rapidly evolving computational capabilities, create an environment where cross-fertilization and unique 

collaborations achieve previously unattainable 

outcomes.

Data Science at Langley

Four years ago, NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC) recognized the technology changes 

referenced above and created the Comprehensive Digital Transformation (CDT) initiative. 

The primary goal of CDT is to catalyze the application of cutting-edge capabilities to enable 

innovative concepts, reduce design cycle time, 

improve affordability, and increase confidence.

In 2014, LaRC’s Big Data Analytics and Machine 

Intelligence Strategy and Roadmap outlined a 

long-term vision for an AI-driven “Virtual Research and Design Partner” to enable NASA 

to achieve greater scientific discoveries. A key 

component was the creation of LaRC’s Office of 

the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Data Science team. Since its inception, the LaRC Data 

Science team has made significant progress 

with the implementation of more than two dozen pilot projects and use cases across multiple 

domains. Projects include the exploration of applications of machine learning on images, the 

analysis of sensor data for humans and materials, the development of computational models, 

and the analysis of mission support datasets. 

These projects have allowed the team to assess 

potential value for NASA researchers.

Project success is dependent upon collaboration between LaRC’s OCIO Data Science team, 

mission organizations, and external partners 

from academia and industry. This convergence 

of skills provides a comprehensive view of the 

problem while encouraging collaboration, buyin, and continued learning.

Since there are few off-the-shelf solutions for 

applying these techniques to physics-based 

datasets at NASA, our challenges must be researched and solutions developed by enhancing current methods and providing regular outreach. The OCIO Data Science team is working 

to build a robust data architecture and infrastructure that will be used by multiple disciplines to gain new insights into heterogeneous 

technical data.

The LaRC OCIO Data Science Team is an enthusiastic member of the Agency big data community and enjoys partnering with other Centers to 

benefit the NASA mission.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2018 9
NASA/GSFC ... Home of Big Data

By Myra Bambacus, Program Manager, Program Formulation & Development Office, GSFC POC for Big Data, and 

Chair of the National Science Foundation Spatiotemporal Center Industry Advisory Board, and Daniel Duffy, Chief of the 

Computational and Information Sciences and Technology Office, Goddard Space Flight Center

To the scientists and engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center 

(GSFC), it seems unnecessary to point 

out that Goddard is a big data hub for 

Earth science, planetary, heliophysics, 

astrophysics, and engineering data. 

Over the past 60 years, Goddard has 

lead and been a part of numerous missions studying the Earth, sun, planets, 

and the universe, all of which have generated big data. While missions come 

and go, the data that NASA generates 

lives on.

In addition to generating volumes of 

data, major NASA programs are at the 

forefront of managing access to data 

in new and innovative ways. The Earth 

Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) program manages NASA’s Earth science data from 

remote sensing instruments, and beyond. EOSDIS curates a multi-petabyte archive distributed across multiple data centers that provide search, 

order, data distribution, and analytics 

services. Future missions will require 

more data storage so EODIS is looking 

to the cloud as a solution.

At the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS), scientists are increasing our understanding of the processes 

that govern the Earth’s environment in 

order to design the next generation satellites and remote sensing platforms. 

Starting from observation data, computer models (see Figure 2) simulate 

complex processes in the Earth system and are used for data assimilation, 

research weather forecasts, decadal 

studies, retrospective analysis, and climate studies. It is not unusual for applications to generate petabytes of data. 

Within the Earth Science Technology 

Office (ESTO), the Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program develops and advances Information Technologies (IT) needed for 

NASA Earth Science programs in the 5 

to 25-year timeframe, providing tools, 

technologies, and virtual environments 

in which big data science is accomplished.

NASA cannot do all of this alone and 

is constantly looking for external partnerships to help accelerate our mission. One such partnership which is 

leveraging millions of dollars of investments across academia, industry, and 

the government is the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Industry–

University Cooperative Research Centers Program (I/UCRC) Spatiotemporal 

Center (STC). Lead by George Mason 

University with co-leads at University of 

California, Santa Barbara, and Harvard 

University, the STC supports Goddard 

initiatives in cloud computing infrastructure, planetary defense mitigation 

gateway, and climate data analytics.

Given the size and complexity of the 

data, downloading data is no longer an 

option. Co-locating data, either physically or virtually, with compute capabilities is a requirement. By combining 

large-scale data volumes with elastic 

compute capabilities, researchers can 

scale from small to large problems efficiently. 

NASA is only beginning to understand 

the applications of big data. Artificial 

Intelligence (AI) has created new areas 

of research that require access to large 

disparate data sets to train models to 

answer a variety of scientific questions. 

Goddard is rapidly moving into the next 

phase of big data technologies using 

models and algorithms to harness the 

potential of AI. By both using existing 

technologies and NASA innovations, 

Goddard is enabling new ways big data 

can change how people act, play, and 

thrive on Earth and among the stars.

Figure 1: Two programs containing 100’s of petabytes 

that represent the Big Data Challenges in NASA.

Figure 2: Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) global 

atmospheric model. Image courtesy of the GMAO.

10 www.nasa.gov
BSA Corner

By Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, NASA Headquarters

NASA began implementing its IT Business Services Assessment (BSA) decisions in March 2016. The Mission 

Support Council (MSC) approved IT 

transformation decisions for Roles and 

Responsibilities, Governance, Computing Services, Communications, Workstations, Collaboration, and IT Security. 

During this implementation period, 

IT at NASA has journeyed from limited investment insight, duplicative services, and minimal stakeholder engagement. While still transforming in a 

number of ways, IT at NASA is identifiable by greater CIO insight and oversight, more efficient operations, formal 

assessments, and the implementation 

of new tools. Each IT BSA decision area 

has made great progress and four have 

completed implementation. 

For Roles and Responsibilities, there 

was limited insight into IT spending 

and an operating model that didn’t reflect all program areas. Now, there are 

six IT programs (Applications, Communications, Computing Services, End 

User Services, Information Management, and Cybersecurity Services) and 

greater CIO oversight and authority, following Federal Information Technology 

Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) guidelines. 

In Governance, boards were ineffective and IT lacked insight mechanisms. 

Now, governance boards are streamlined and thriving, and the IT Capital 

Investment Review and Center Functional Review have been 

implemented. Before IT 

BSA and Data Center Optimization Initiative efforts, there 

were 79 data centers. Now, there are 

24 and NASA has 

adopted a Cloud 

First strategy 

and implemented a 

data center architecture. 

Prior to IT BSA, some Communications 

services were transforming to enterprise services. IT BSA efforts address 

transformation risk and reinvestments 

of savings. Center End User Services 

procurement was varied and did not always take advantage of enterprise services. Today, nearly all Centers procure 

at least 80% of their workstations from 

the enterprise contract and the program continues further contract consolidation. 

Like other IT services, many of NASA’s 

collaboration tools were duplicated at 

each Center, raising costs. By defining 

a Core Suite of Collaboration Tools to 

meet most needs and filling the Core 

Suite with Cisco capabilities and Office 

365 (coming Fall 2018), we will reduce 

duplicative services and save Agency resources. Cybersecurity teams addressed potential gaps in coverage by 

adopting a risk management framework and deploying continuous monitoring tools. 

Through IT BSA activities, NASA’s IT 

has evolved into a state of greater CIO 

oversight, more enterprise services, 

greater service consistency, insight-providing assessments, 

savings, and strategic resource management. IT 

continues transformation 

journey through final IT 

BSA efforts and in initiatives to follow.

Office 365 

Coming to NASA

By Emily Townsend, EUSO 

Communications Lead, Marshall 

Space Flight Center

Office 365 will allow NASA employees to work in the cloud AND on the 

ground. The Agency’s migration to Office 365’s cloud-based service starts 

this month with a limited pilot and will 

continue throughout the summer and 

into the Fall. Initially, NASA will implement Online Email, Skype, and OneDrive (which includes personal storage 

and file sync and share within NASA). 

In the meantime, Microsoft Office (i.e., 

Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) 

will continue to function as they do today. Other O365 features, including additional collaboration capabilities, roll 

out in Spring 2019.

All NASA email-enabled customers 

will receive an Office 365 account. Because securing our devices, networks, 

and data are top priorities for NASA, 

Office 365 will be configured as an internal service and will require an approved NASA device and PIV card or 

Agency Smart Badge to gain access. 

Customers will be migrated in a phased 

approach beginning late summer and 

will receive targeted communication, 

instructions, and training close to their 

migration date. 

Office 365 is a smart decision for NASA. 

It provides the agency with modern, innovative, and collaborative technology and gives our customers increased 

mailbox sizes, online storage capabilities with OneDrive, and larger attendance per Skype meeting. 

For more information, FAQs, O365 training videos, and a list of Center POCs, visit:

https://inside.nasa.gov/office-365.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2018 11
Center Functional Review

By Saurabh Baveja, CFR Lead, NASA Headquarters

Over the past few years, the Business Services Assessment 

(BSA) efforts have spanned the Agency, including how information technology (IT) at NASA works and how best to optimize IT to execute projects that benefit and provide added 

value to our customers, providers, and the Agency.

Based on this effort, the Mission Support Council (MSC) developed a BSA IT Implementation Plan with the goal of creating a Level 0 through Level 3 management structure to enable 

a strategic path forward while clearly defining responsibilities 

and authorities for each level. As a result, the Implementation Plan approach established six IT programs, with each 

being spearheaded by a Program Executive (at Level 2) and 

their respective Program Offices operating at Level 3. The 

plan further laid out key decisions in the area of Governance 

including the requirement that the CIO shall conduct Center 

Functional Reviews (CFR). These reviews, per the Business 

Services Steering Committee (BSSC) recommendation, were 

put in place to ensure Center compliance with Agency IT policy and standards and serve as a “means to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and compliance of the IT work performed 

across Centers...through Agency Program Executives.”

Over the course of FY 2017 and FY 2018, multiple successful 

CFRs have taken place to ensure alignment with these BSAprescribed guidelines. These reviews have come to span six 

IT programs and six crosscutting areas (see list) and have 

resulted in collaborative dialogue and improvements by the 

Centers, as well as programs and crosscutting areas, helping ensure alignment and compliance with the requirements 

levied per the BSA, as well as from the strategic direction of 

the OCIO.

IT Program Areas: Crosscutting Areas:

Applications

Communications

Computing 

End User

Information Management

IT Security

Collaboration

Enterprise Architecture

Governance

IT Contracts

IT Investments

Project Management

The next CFR is scheduled at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in 

July 2018, and it will mark the midpoint milestone of this activity. Per the Implementation Plan, these reviews will rotate 

on a 3-year cycle. Past CFRs have been successfully held 

at Langley Research Center (LaRC), Kennedy Space Center 

(KSC), Headquarters (HQ), and Ames Research Center (ARC).

CFRs continue to serve a pivotal role in helping enable the 

BSA Implementation and Governance Plan requirements. 

These CFRs, in partnership with the Center CIOs and Center leadership, have come to serve not only as a means to 

assess and look closer at compliance with existing NASA 

IT policies and standards, but also as an opportunity to improve communications. This partnership helps identify additional enterprise adoption opportunities while increasing 

awareness and understanding of the Centers we (in IT) serve 

to help better meet current and future mission needs.

NASA Cloud Team Member Wins FedRAMP Award!

By Penny Hubbard, Communications Specialist, Ames Research Center

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program 

(FedRAMP) of the General Services Administration (GSA) announced the winners of the inaugural FedRAMP Five Awards 

in Washington, DC, on June 13, 2018, during the Advanced 

Technology Academic Research Center’s (ATARC) Cloud and 

Data Center Summit. The FedRAMP Five is FedRAMP’s firstever awards program and honors the agencies and people 

that are doing the most to shape program progress to enable cloud providers to work with the Federal Government 

and provide approved and secure cloud services. NASA’s 

Computing Services Program Office (CSPO) is pleased to 

congratulate Steven Hunt, who was selected to receive FedRAMP’s Large Agency Tech Lead award. This award is especially significant because it is given to only a single individual across the entire Federal Government.

The full details are posted on the FedRAMP site here: https://

www.fedramp.gov/congratulations-to-the-2018-fedrampfive-award-winners/.

Congratulations, Steven!

Ames Research Center’s Steven Hunt, winner of the 

FedRAMP Five Large Agency Tech Lead award.

12 www.nasa.gov
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of the Chief Information Officer

300 E Street, SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov

NASA

Cleveland Data Meetup

By John Sprague, Deputy Associate CIO for Technology, Data & Innovation Division, NASA Headquarters

Data meetups are held all over the United States and the 

world. Cleveland, OH, holds some of the largest meetups 

in the country. Attendees to these monthly and quarterly 

meetups are from the public and private sectors from the 

surrounding area, and Cleveland is home to a number of 

businesses with a focus on data management and analytics, such as Progressive Insurance, Key Bank, Pandata, 

and IBM Watson Health. While in town for NASA’s Big Data 

Big Think conference at Glenn Research Center (GRC), a 

number of NASA personnel were able to attend Cleveland’s 

Big Data Meetup; I served as the keynote speaker for this 

particular meetup.

Topics ran the gamut from NASA’s Pleiades Supercomputer to the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration and 

Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory located at Ames 

Research Center (ARC). I shared use cases like the Hubble 

Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and 

extravehicular activity (EVA), as well as unique challenges 

from astronaut data.

We discussed new space research, like the romaine lettuce 

grown and eaten by astronauts (including Scott Kelly) on the 

International Space Station, as well as the anticipated wave 

of data expected from the slew of missions scheduled over 

the next year. Meetup participants were also interested in 

NASA’s Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), scattered across the United States and storing large amounts 

of data. It was a great, free flow of information as we fielded 

numerous questions and held a dialogue.

Cleveland’s data meetup was an excellent opportunity for 

NASA to talk about its data management challenges, initiatives, and accomplishments. After all of the discussions, I was 

reminded of one of my favorite sayings: Data becomes Information, becomes Knowledge, which becomes Wisdom.

 NASA’s John Sprague presents at the meetup.

IT Talk