National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

IT Talk

July - September 2017 Volume 7 • Issue 3

Tech

Trends
IT Talk

Jul - Sep 2017 Volume 7 • 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

Graphic & Web Designer

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.

For distribution questions or to 

suggest a story idea, email:

eldora.valentine-1@nasa.gov

To read IT Talk online visit:

www.nasa.gov/offices/ocio/ittalk

For more info on the OCIO:

v www.nasa.gov/ocio

v inside.nasa.gov/ocio

 (Internal NASA network only)

v www.nasa.gov/open/

www.facebook.com/NASAcio

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10

Message from

the NASA CIO

The Most Important 

Technology Trends: Pt 2

2017 NASA STI 

Program/NISA

Face-to-Face at KSC

NASA OCIO Receives 

Blue Marble Award

BSA Corner

In this Issue
At NASA, we continue to look for new 

ways to keep up with the times, not to 

mention technology trends. How will we 

work in 5 years, 10 years, or longer? Will it 

be mobile devices or something else? Will 

you have a cube or an office? Virtual working is becoming more of a norm, so every 

day we are seeing more employees working from anywhere.

In this issue, we will explore new ways we 

will work in the future and what that may 

mean for our CIO community.

We will also discuss IT security. Every 

employee must do his/her part to protect 

data. If you lose your Government smartphone, iPad, or laptop, what would go 

through your mind first? Someone now 

has access to all my important videos or 

photos?

What should go through your mind is 

that someone now has access to all 

your work files and can do real damage to harm NASA. NASA takes the 

issue of IT security very seriously, and 

we have made significant progress in 

better protecting the Agency’s IT systems. In this issue, we will take a look 

at some tips to help you safeguard 

your data better.

Finally, congratulations to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory IT Directorate. The 

team was recently recognized with a 

few prestigious industry honors. We 

will highlight some of those accomplishments.

Happy reading!

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2017 3

Message from the NASA CIO 
NASA OCIO Receives Blue Marble Award

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) received the Blue Marble 

Award at the 2017 NASA Environmental Conference held at Johnson 

Space Center (JSC) on April 4, 2017. 

John Sprague, Deputy Associate CIO 

for Technology and Innovation, gave 

a summary brief to the conference 

before receiving the Group Environmental Quality Award for the OCIO. A 

certificate, signed by the acting NASA 

Administrator, Robert Lightfoot, is also 

being presented to representatives of 

the International Space Applications 

Challenge Team. The award was recognition for numerous environmental 

projects to benefit NASA, the United 

States, and the world.

Pictured: Mike McNeill, Deputy Director 

for the Environmental Division at NASA 

Headquarters; John Sprague, representing 

OCIO; and James Leatherwood, Director for 

the Environmental Division. Photo courtesy 

of Johnson Space Center.

Hackers Do Not Take Spring Breaks or Summer Vacations—

Cybersecurity Training Is Taken Seriously at Goddard!

By Hillary Gamble, Strategic Communications Specialist, Goddard Space Flight Center

When the days get longer, the flowers 

start to bloom, and the grills are fired 

up, that can mean only two things: 

spring is here, and it is time for all 

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) 

employees, both contractors and civil 

servants, to complete their annual cybersecurity awareness training. While 

many Goddard employees will enjoy 

a spring break or summer vacation, 

hackers will not take a break at all. 

Even during time off and teleworking, 

following good cybersecurity practices 

is essential to keeping NASA safe. At 

Goddard, we take that seriously.

With great power comes great responsibility. At Goddard, we are connected to some of the most powerful 

machines and scientific data in the 

world. It is the duty of civil servants 

and contractors working at the center 

to protect all equipment and information that are owned by the Federal 

Government. NASA, in particular, is 

home to some of the most valuable 

data in the world, comprised of data 

transmitted from outer space and cutting-edge science research, making its 

protection even more important. This 

is why NASA requires all employees to 

complete cybersecurity training on an 

annual basis.

The FY 2017 Cybersecurity and Sensitive Unclassified Information Awareness Training teaches all NASA employees and contractors about the 

importance and best practices of cybersecurity. The training is designed to 

educate employees about the dangers 

of lackadaisical cybersecurity practices 

and ways to go above and beyond to 

protect both themselves and NASA. 

Through this training, Goddard employees will learn about such topics 

as teleworking, phishing, mobile device usage, foreign travel, privacy, and 

much more. Being able to understand 

these topics and implement the best 

practices associated with them is essential for protecting NASA data from 

getting into the wrong hands.

To improve the impact of Goddard’s 

Annual Cybersecurity Awareness 

Training Program, the Cybersecurity 

Services and Integration Division 

(CSID) began offering multiple modes 

of training this year. Traditionally, Goddard has only offered an online version 

of the training; however, this year, CSID 

introduced live training, offering employees an opportunity to have an interactive session with cybersecurity 

experts. This live training has garnered 

significant interest, with over 200 Goddard employees attending the first session alone. Since then, multiple sessions have been held, with increased 

interest in each session.

Once considered an afterthought at 

NASA, cybersecurity is now a missioncritical operation. At Goddard, we 

make sure to do our part to protect all 

of the wonderful and innovative work 

done at NASA!

4 www.nasa.gov
IT Security Tips

By Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, Headquarters

Protect Your NASA Devices 

From Loss or Theft

DID YOU KNOW that NASA end users report 

more than one device as lost or stolen per day? 

Devices include laptops, desktops, tablets, 

storage devices, servers, smartphones, RSA 

tokens, and cell phones.

Each time an end user’s device is lost or stolen, 

NASA’s Security Operations Center (SOC) 

investigates the incident. Security teams work 

to protect NASA, as well as personnel, from 

security risks and data breaches.

REMINDER: Be mindful when storing and 

sharing personally identifiable information (PII), 

sensitive but unclassified (SBU) information, 

international traffic in arms regulations (ITAR) 

information, and other sensitive information by 

following NASA’s guidelines, available at https://

inside.nasa.gov/itsd/information-privacyprotection-cui.

As the number of devices used daily increases, 

so has their capacity to store data. Laptops, 

smartphones, and RSA tokens are most often 

reported missing, but all lost devices incur costs 

for investigation, mitigation of data breaches, 

and replacement.

PREVENTION: There are several simple ways to 

protect NASA devices from loss or theft.

• Secure devices when away from workstations 

and lock all mobile items overnight.

• When commuting or traveling, routinely 

account for each device, especially when 

transferring to and from planes, cars, and rail.

• Avoid leaving devices in vehicles for long 

durations; short-term, they may be locked in 

trunks.

• Never leave devices exposed in a parked car!

• International travelers need permission from 

their Center’s CIO office before traveling with 

NASA’s devices. These users may receive 

temporary devices for international trips.

REPORT IT: Disclose all device loss or theft, 

within 1 hour of discovery, to the NASA SOC 

(soc@nasa.gov or 1-877-627-2732). Additional 

reporting to the device manager or local police, 

if stolen, may be required.

Help NASA limit loss!

Keeping Mobile Device 

Software Up-to-Date

“SOFTWARE UPDATE AVAILABLE”: These 

important mobile phone and tablet updates 

contain timely security fixes and bring beneficial 

upgrades, including increased battery life 

and improved app performance. Immediately 

installing updates on NASA-issued mobile 

devices protects NASA’s networks from harm.

All updates are delivered by the wireless carrier 

and are not distributed by Agency device 

managers. Follow the instructions in the box 

below to check for, and install, updates.

For assistance updating mobile devices, 

contact the Enterprise Service Desk (https://

esd.nasa.gov or 1-877-677-2123, Option 2).

Cybersecurity begins and ends with you!

UPDATE STEPS

•Apple: Go to Settings > General 

> Software Update. Any available 

updates will appear. Click Install Now.

•Android: Launch the Settings app 

from your Home screen, tap System 

> About Device > Software 

Updates > Check for updates 

> OK. If your device needs to be 

updated, it will find the latest update, 

and you can follow the onscreen 

instructions to download and install 

the software.

•Windows phone: From the Home 

screen, tap Settings > Phone 

Update > Check for Update > 

Download.

•BlackBerry 10: From the Home 

screen, swipe down from the top of the 

screen. Tap Settings > Software 

Updates > Check for Updates 

> Update (if an update is available). 

For other BlackBerry models, refer 

to the Web site for instructions: 

https://us.blackberry.com/software/

smartphones/update/blackberry10-os.

HTTPS Compliance

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

mandated that all public Federal 

Websites and Web services use 

hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) encryption for the 

privacy and security of visitors 

and content owners.

NASA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO) HTTPS 

Tiger Team has achieved more 

than 95 percent compliance and 

was leading other Federal agencies. We appreciate the NASA 

team’s hard work and dedication!

NASA’s Strategy

The HTTPS Tiger Team, established in June 2016, tackled the 

OMB M-15-13 mandate affecting 

approximately 3,700 systems. 

Upgrading NASA’s sites and services to a more secure protocol 

was a high priority, not only to 

ensure secure experiences for 

our users, but also to protect NASA’s data with the highest protocol standards currently available.

Why HTTPS?

HTTPS represents the most secure protocol, but the Web largely runs over unencrypted HTTP. 

Without the encryption, any data 

sent using only HTTP, including information shared between 

the user’s browser and the Web 

site, may be accessed by outside 

parties. In the case of NASA, encryption is critical for logins, user 

IDs, passwords, data exchanges, 

research, and patent data.

For more about HTTPS and 

NASA, visit:

•https://inside.nasa.gov/NASA_

Achieves_OMB_M-15-13_

Compliance

•https://18f.gsa.gov/2017/05/25/

from-launch-to-landing-hownasa-took-control-of-its-httpsmission/.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2017 5
The Most Important Technology Trends, Part 2

By Tom Soderstrom, IT Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

This is the second article in a series 

about the most important technology 

trends. The first article postulated that 

the key trend is the evolution of how we 

work. It discussed working like a startup and utilizing new methods of working, including agile development, opensource, consumerization, continuous 

development/continuous integration, 

iterating with minimum viable products, 

DevOps, crowdsourcing, maker communities, and reducing wait states.

This article focuses on the key technologies that will deliver maximum benefits, especially when used together. 

Over the next three years, to work even 

faster and more effectively, we will use 

new, natural user interfaces to easily 

and seamlessly interact with previously 

unimaginable amounts of data in the 

cloud, from real-time sensors created 

through the Internet of Things (IoT). We 

will make data-driven decisions in real 

time, aided by complex algorithms that 

help make sense of the data through 

artificial intelligence (AI). And we will 

proactively measure everything through 

predictive and prescriptive analytics.

The way we interact with the computing systems will change. Today, we 

work using a mouse and keyboard; we 

must have knowledge of what data we 

need, request permission, and then use 

a keyboard and mouse to access and 

(often painfully) combine data from different sources. It is extremely labor-intensive, and, because of the many wait 

states, it is too easy to lose the everimportant momentum and not deliver 

on time.

Tomorrow, we will simply use a natural interface to query the system and 

receive an answer in seconds. As illustrated in Figure 1, a scientist, engineer, programmer, or other stakeholder 

will simply ask a question using her/

his voice, gesture to the camera, touch 

the data on a large touch-screen, blink 

through the smart glasses, and/or think 

about the problem wearing a smart 

“helmet,” and the answer will appear. 

If we are successful, it will seem like AI 

magic.

So, what’s behind the scenes of this 

magic? The data will reside in clouds 

and be accessible through well-known 

APIs (Application Programming Interface). The stakeholder’s questions will 

kick off a set of database queries and/

or AI code that presents the solutions 

to the user. Note that the system intelligently assists the human by presenting 

6 www.nasa.gov
the data in the way that the user wants 

it and specifying the likelihood that the 

answer is correct. The user then chooses the action. This is the essence of Intelligent Assistance (IA).

IA will evolve to AI at the user’s desired 

pace. Once the user trusts the IA recommendations, she/he can choose to 

trust the system to implement the recommendation automatically. At that 

point, we have reduced an additional 

wait state and have evolved to true AI 

for that user and for that use case.

There are many current and future examples. Today, AI software called AEGIS runs on Curiosity. While Curiosity 

is driving on Mars, AEGIS automatically 

identifies interesting rocks and tells Curiosity to take photos, which are then 

sent to Earth. Humans can investigate 

them using augmented reality through 

Microsoft’s HoloLens Smart Glasses 

and ask Curiosity to turn around to drill 

into the rock. (See Figure 2.)

If this sounds too simple...we are on 

the right track. AI is complicated, and 

many people fear it. However, no one 

fears Alexa, Siri, or Cortana because 

of the apparent simplicity and because 

the software is simply advising the human, who takes the action. Hence the 

emphasis on IA.

What technologies are needed for us to 

execute this vision? The Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory (JPL) has experimented 

with all of the following technologies 

and have found them both promising 

and useful.

1. Open-source and commercial analytics tools. They are readily available, inexpensive, growing, and 

evolving quickly.

2. Cloud computing. This includes the 

related technologies of advanced 

and unlimited computing and storage, serverless computing, edge 

computing, containers, microservices, API management, etc. The 

list will continue to grow.

3. Crowdsourcing. We will partner 

more within and between NASA 

Centers and externally to organizations such as Kaggle for data science and analytics.

4. Internet of Things. IoT will allow us 

to automatically collect highly relevant data, gain automated situational awareness, and interact in an 

easy, natural way with any system.

5. AI frameworks and libraries. We can 

choose from available open-source 

options and run the calculations in 

the cloud. Examples include Tensorflow from Google, MxNet from 

Amazon, Cognitive Toolkit from Microsoft, Torch, Caffe, Keras, DeepLearning4J, Theano, and many 

more.

6. IA. By focusing on the user over the 

technology, we will employ Intelligent Assistance as a way to infuse 

AI while enabling human end-users 

to set the pace of infusion.

How can we deploy these technologies?

1. Question Farm. Iterate quickly with 

end-users to find low-hanging use 

cases.

2. Experiment. Try the minimum viable product quickly with users and 

developers using small teams.

3. Focus on the data. Ensure that the 

data are accessible, consumable, 

reusable, and understandable.

4. Build in cybersecurity. Ensure that 

the solutions and the data are appropriately secured.

5. Take the quick, easy path. If we 

cannot get access to the data, we 

will drop this experiment. Instead, 

we will do the prototypes/experiments that show value with minimum wait states. We will also make 

it easy for the users by making 

the solutions easy to understand, 

build, and (re)use.

6. Measure everything. Is there 

enough end-user value to continue 

with this experiment?

7. Double down. If the experiment 

showed value and had an impact, 

we will iterate quickly.

Whether you think this is the right approach or think that it is complete and 

utter hype, we would love to hear from 

you about how we can help NASA answer the big questions that affect all of 

humanity. Next in the series, I will discuss IA and AI in more detail and would appreciate 

hearing about your potenFig 2. Virtual Mars Exploration tial or actual use cases.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2017 7
2017 NASA STI Program/NISA Face-to-Face 

at Kennedy Space Center

By Vincent Whitfield, Communications Specialist, NASA Langley Research Center

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) graciously hosted the first combined NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) 

Program and NASA Information Services Alliance (NISA) Face-to-Face from 

May 1-5, 2017. The event brought together STI managers, NASA librarians, 

and Document Availability Authorization (DAA) representatives from all ten 

Centers.

Together, the STI Program and NISA 

help to maintain the robustness of 

NASA’s information sciences; the STI 

Program establishes and implements 

technical publishing policy for the 

Agency, ensuring that STI is acquired, 

processed, disseminated, promoted, 

and archived via both a registered 

and a public system (NASA Technical 

Reports Server). NISA ensures that all 

NASA employees—and in some cases 

the public—have seamless and timely 

access to information resources, services, and tools, regardless of their 

geographic location.

In addition to sharing knowledge and 

best practices from their respective 

fields, the Face-to-Face is an opportunity for the STI Program and NISA 

to launch new initiatives; this year, the 

STI Program unveiled its new Strategic 

Plan and Vision Statement. “I am extremely energized with our vision and 

plan for the Program,” said Jennifer 

Perez, NASA STI Program Manager.

The first day of the Face-to Face included both groups and took place at 

KSC’s Apollo Saturn V Facility. Content included presentations by Jennifer 

Perez, STI Program Manager; Karen 

Fallon, STI Program Deputy Manager; 

Kate Dunlap, NISA Chair; and Beth 

Beck, who welcomed attendees on behalf of the Agency Office of the Chief 

Information Officer (OCIO).

On the second and third days, the STI 

Program and NISA parted ways to focus on individual workshops specific 

to each group. The location for these 

events was KSC’s Operations Support 

Building (OSB) II. The venue’s fifth-floor 

terrace was a popular choice for photographs because it provided excellent 

views of the Vehicle Assembly Building 

(VAB), which has housed the Apollo 

Program, Space Transportation System, and Commercial Crew Program 

launch vehicles.

On the fourth and final day of the Faceto-Face, KSC staff provided attendees 

with an exclusive VIP tour of the Center. 

The tour included popular highlights 

such as the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit at the KSC Visitor Center, as well 

as guided tours of the KSC Launch 

Control Rooms and a trip to Launch 

Complex 39 (complete with a visit to 

the world-famous “Alligator Pond”).

The STI Program and NISA teams have 

already started planning for next year’s 

Face-to-Face and hope to build upon 

the strategic focus-areas identified 

during this year’s event.

Find out more about the NASA STI Program at https://www.sti.nasa.gov/.

For research support from NISA, visit 

https://askalibrarian.nasa.gov/.

Photo caption: NASA STI Managers and DAA Representatives from 

across the Agency take in views of KSC’s Vehicle Assembly Building

Photo Credit: NASA KSC/Sandra Joseph

8 www.nasa.gov
LEGO Apollo 

Saturn V

The wait is over! LEGO recently 

unveiled the NASA Apollo Saturn 

V design. At slightly over 3 feet, 

the Saturn V rocket is the tallest 

LEGO Ideas set ever, and it contains the most elements (pieces)—1,969 elements.

Taking Photography 

to New Heights

By the Image Science and Analysis Group at Johnson Space Center

The Image Science and Analysis Group 

personnel at Johnson Space Center 

are experts in video photogrammetry, 

the extraction of 3D data from 2D imagery. Imagery has long been used to 

observe and measure the behavior of 

space hardware in a variety of engineering tests, both on the ground and 

in space.

The Orion Crew Capsule, under development by NASA and Lockheed 

Martin, has a Forward Bay Cover that 

measures approximately 9 feet in diameter. This cover protects the capsule’s 

landing parachutes. The Image Science and Analysis Group uses photogrammetry to measure the position and 

attitude of the Forward Bay Cover as it 

is jettisoned from the capsule in engineering tests conducted on the ground, 

during parachute drop tests, and during uncrewed exploration flight tests.

The positioning of four synchronized 

high-speed video cameras on platforms surrounding a Forward Bay 

Cover attached to a simulated parachute compartment for a ground jettison test allows the lightning-quick 

ejection of the cover to be observed 

step-by-step from multiple perspectives. Customized targets placed on 

the cover are tracked with specialized 

commercial software to determine the 

3D position and 3D orientation of the 

cover for the half-second ground test. 

Subtle but significant image distortions 

from each camera lens are measured 

and removed from the results. The final 

data reveal the speed and acceleration 

of the cover and confirm to engineers 

that the cover has not made accidental 

contact with any part of the simulated 

parachute compartment.

Whether during parachute drop tests 

conducted at 35,000 feet above the 

Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona or 

immediately after the fiery reentry of 

the Exploration Flight Test One capsule over the Pacific Ocean, the best 

view of the jettison of the Forward Bay 

Cover is from a single camera mounted 

underneath it. Taking 500 images per 

second, this camera views the cover 

and a set of specially sized and distributed targets affixed to its underside as 

it launches off the vehicle. The targets 

range in diameter from 0.25 centimeters to 8 centimeters. By tracking them 

as they briefly come into view and then 

shrink in apparent size, observers can 

calculate the position and orientation 

of the entire cover during jettison. This 

single-camera photogrammetric method is not as precise as a multicamera 

analysis, but it provides valuable data 

when there are no other options.

This expertise in photogrammetry, garnered from years of experience in the 

Space Shuttle Program, is also applied to a steady stream of tasks for 

the International Space Station. These 

include the calculation of structural 

clearances, dynamic response of solar 

arrays to orbital reboost thruster firings, 

and trajectories of jettisoned hardware. 

These calculations are often made using imagery from cameras never intended for such a purpose, without 

specialized targets and no preparation. 

As NASA moves into future operations 

with commercial crew and the exploration space gateway/transportation vehicles, the Image Science and Analysis 

Group foresees a continuing need for 

utilizing photogrammetry techniques to 

derive engineering data from imagery.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2017 9
BSA Corner

By Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, Headquarters

It takes many people to implement 

the IT Business Services Assessment 

(BSA). Throughout this process, project leaders rely heavily on leadership, 

OCIO staff, program offices, and Center personnel for the development, review, coordination, and execution of a 

variety of tasks.

In this issue, we thank all of the hardworking employees who have been 

involved in IT BSA implementation, as 

well as those who will become part of 

this journey before it is complete. So 

thank you to our information technology communities, leadership, and IT 

customers. We view IT as a strategic 

resource and hope you do too.

Our Community

The Agency’s IT community has shouldered many hours of implementation, 

from early data calls to executing programs and projects. For example, security teams have been realizing a new 

security architecture through Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) 

program deployment on Agency systems and workstations and configuring 

CDM output into the Risk Information 

Security Compliance System (RISCS).

Some staff members have been instrumental in the formulation and review of 

program plans, the data center architecture, policies, and memoranda, among 

various projects. Others are preparing 

for the future, including implementing 

strategic sourcing, educating customers, and developing a collaboration tools suite.

Our Leadership

Our successes, like greater 

portfolio insight, cost avoidance and savings, and IT 

security advancements, required guidance as well as 

leaders accepting new 

roles and challenges. 

New governance 

boards have 

incorporated 

leadership from 

the OCIO, Centers, Mission Directorates, and Functional Offices to 

provide oversight and decision making.

We recognize new and current leaders for stepping in to solve problems 

or taking deeper dives to gain a greater 

understanding of the environment and 

arrive at the best solutions. Current 

managers have allocated time and personnel to projects while juggling preexisting priorities; new leaders have risen 

into roles to guide the IT BSA process.

Our Customer

Lastly, thank you to information technology customers, in and out of the 

missions. Your feedback on our services and your needs enables IT to 

become your strategic partner. By 

adjusting how equipment and other 

requirements are sourced, NASA will 

reduce duplicative (and costly) contracts, save money, and still allow for 

unique solutions to unique problems. 

These savings and cost avoidances will 

be reinvested into services supporting 

the Agency’s mission. Other changes, 

like enhanced security and easier pathways to collaboration, will be beneficial 

for years to come.

As implementation marches into its 

second year, we applaud all of those individuals who helped shape the IT BSA, 

from development to operation under a 

more insightful and efficient model.

JPL CIO, IT Directorate, 

Recognized with 

Industry Honors

By Whitney Haggins, IT Communication 

Strategist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 

California Institute of Technology

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) IT Directorate and CIO were recently recognized with 

industry honors.

On May 1, Jim Rinaldi, JPL Chief Information 

Officer and Director for Information Technology, 

was announced as a 2017 CIO Hall of Fame 

inductee by IDG’s CIO magazine. Rinaldi is the 

only person representing a Federally Funded 

Research and Development Center or NASA to 

be a part of 2017’s Hall of Fame class. CIO also 

announced JPL as a 2017 CIO 100 honoree. 

The CIO 100 recognizes the top 100 organizations for their business and technology innovation. The selection marks JPL’s sixth consecutive appearance on the CIO 100. The 2017 CIO 

Hall of Fame inductees and CIO 100 honorees 

will be profiled in the magazine’s August issue 

and honored at a gala event during the CIO 100 

Symposium to be held August 14–16 in Colorado Springs, CO.

On June 12, JPL was named one of IDG’s Computerworld 2017 Best Places to Work in IT. JPL 

was ranked third among large companies. The 

selection marks JPL’s fifth consecutive appearance on the list, an annual ranking of the top 

100 work environments for information technology professionals by Computerworld. This 

year’s list, the 24th annual edition, 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 said, "I’m absolutely thrilled that the 

JPL IT organization is again recognized for the 

hard work, determined effort, and excellent results that contribute to JPL’s success. I am very 

proud to be a part of a wonderful team in an 

amazing place.”

10 www.nasa.gov
Decades of Multimedia Content Now 

Searchable in the Cloud

By Mary Phillips, WESTPrime Program Communications

Since NASA got its start in 1958, it has been 

making history with a mission focused on advancing technology and science through flight. 

For nearly six decades, images, videos, and audio files have been captured across the United 

States in disparate Center galleries.

Before the creation of the searchable library, 

NASA employees and citizens had difficulty 

finding content. Every major project had its own 

image gallery and curated galleries, meaning 

the searcher had to have some understanding 

of where a particular image might be located. 

For example, a space launch image would likely 

be at Kennedy Space Center’s gallery. “From 

the perspective of being a good steward of the 

taxpayer, we owed it to our citizens to have a 

better citizen engagement experience by making the library available in one location,” said 

Rodney Grubbs, NASA Imagery Experts Program Manager.

This project was significant. When the idea was 

pitched to NASA Headquarters leadership three 

years ago, one of the parameters was not to 

invest in hardware sitting in racks that needed 

to be updated and upgraded. The Agency did 

not want to own any of the servers or hardware. 

Yet having access to secure cloud infrastructure 

that was certified for Government use created 

an opportunity to solve both the technical and 

storage challenges. The image library needed 

to be built on infrastructure that was not owned 

yet could take advantage of the cloud services, 

tools, and toolsets that came with a cloud architecture.

Balancing cost without compromising capability was a shared goal. “Building a cloud native 

application that dynamically scales is a ‘first’ 

for NASA and will result in a better user experience while reducing costs,” said Ian Sturken, 

NASA Web and Cloud Services Program Manager.

The NASA Image and Video Library was unveiled to the public at the end of March 2017. 

Through the Website, external and internal users can search, discover, and download more 

than 140,000 files from across the Agency’s 

many missions in aeronautics, astrophysics, 

Earth science, and human spaceflight.

Multiple resolutions are available, with metadata associated with each image. There is also 

an application program interface (API) that allows automation of imagery uploads and gives 

visitors the ability to embed content in sites and 

applications. The public site runs on NASA’s 

cloud native “infrastructure as code” technology, enabling on-demand use in the cloud.

“It was a huge undertaking and the Web Services Office through WESTPrime gave us a 

vehicle to go and solve this,” said Rodney 

Grubbs. “Without it, there wasn’t a way to do it. 

I couldn’t go out on the street and do a Request 

for Proposal (RFP). It had to be done by someone within the NASA domain and had to be a 

secure way to manage and control it. Without 

the WESTPrime contract, I didn’t have a way to 

do it,” continued Grubbs.

The library can be found at:

https://images.nasa.gov

NASA OCIO IT Talk Jul - Sep 2017 11
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of the Chief Information Officer

300 E Street, SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov

OCIO Honors

The OCIO celebrates three employees on their recent extraordinary achievements in innovation.

Beth Beck, the Open Information Manager and 

Information Management Program Executive, was 

awarded a Ph.D. in planning, governance, and globalization this May by Virginia Polytechnic Institute 

and State University (Virginia Tech). Her dissertation, “The Spark That Ignites the Creative Idea: An 

Examination of the Group Practice of LAUNCH,” 

analyzed data from the joint sustainability program, LAUNCH, founded by NASA, the U.S. Department of State, the United States Agency for 

International Development (USAID), and Nike.

Beth’s study examines how tension and conflict 

generated by team collaboration can lead to innovative outcomes through the analysis of group interactions between LAUNCH team members over 

5 years. Her findings are described using scientific 

metaphors from atomic physics and quantum mechanics, which sparked a quantum theory of social 

dynamics that applies to collaborative behaviors 

exhibited in teams, as well as creativity evoked 

by disruptive social interactions. The conclusions, 

applicable to other group interactions—including 

ours—show that under a common goal, conflict 

can lead to shifting perspectives and innovation in 

problem solving.

Beth is located at NASA Headquarters.

The Exceptional 

Achievement Medal 

for 2017, a prestigious Agency Honor 

Award, has been 

granted to Karen 

Petraska, the Program Executive for 

Computing Services 

in the Enterprise Services and Integration 

Division. The medal was awarded “for outstanding 

leadership in developing the Enterprise Managed 

Cloud Computing program to facilitate secure and 

compliant adoption of cloud services for NASA 

customers.” Karen’s leadership has been instrumental in encouraging the use of the cloud for 

Agency data and services as well as consolidating 

data center functions.

The Exceptional Achievement Medal is awarded 

to civil servants whose work results in major 

achievements or significant mission support, is 

innovative, and fulfills NASA’s goals. Karen (also 

located at NASA Headquarters) will receive her 

medal at the Agency Honor Awards Ceremony in 

October.

Ian Sturken, the Web and Cloud Services Manager 

and Enterprise Application Architecture Co-Lead, 

received the Mission Excellence Enabler award 

during the 2017 AFCEA Bethesda InnovateIT 

Awards: Recognizing the Best in Government-wide 

InITiatives. He was nominated for his work with 

the Web Services Office (WSO) and WESTPrime 

team to address risk and security, requirements, 

payment strategies, and usage in cloud computing 

adoption at NASA.

Ian is located at NASA’s Ames Research Center.

Congratulations to Beth, Karen, and Ian on their 

accomplishments!

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