WALL CLIMBER

PUFFER

OPEN SOURCE ROVER

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

IT Talk

April - June 2018 Volume 8 • Issue 2

Diverse Robotic 

SWARM
IT Talk

Apr - Jun 2018 Volume 8 • Issue 2

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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Message from

the NASA CIO

What Can IT Do 

with Extreme 

Prototyping? A Lot.

Spring 2018

Datanauts

Office 365 Coming 

Soon to NASA!

Introducing

NASA’s IT

Strategic Plan

In this Issue
Working at NASA certainly has a “cool factor,” which is one of the reasons 

so many people are attracted to it. In this issue, we’ll learn about the Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) latest “gee whiz” cool things. It’s a living-onthe-edge prototype known as the Diverse Robotic Swarm. JPL’s Information 

Technology team and its robotics community have created a distributed brain 

and body that focus on solving a single NASA mission. The effort combines 

the six major technology waves we are pursuing in this IT decade.

We’ll also explore how NASA’s IT Strategic Plan is helping to shape our 

current and future NASA IT community. The Agency’s Information Technology 

Strategic Plan (Fiscal Years 2018–2021) is a terrific roadmap for managing 

NASA’s IT as a strategic resource. The plan helps to better connect and align 

the Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO) daily practices with the 

Agency’s mission and strategic goals.

And finally, we’ll get an up-close and personal look at Office 365, which 

is coming to NASA end users in 2018! Employees will enjoy the benefit 

of increased mailbox size, better data security, and larger Skype meeting 

capabilities. The Office 365 suite will include Microsoft Word, Excel, 

PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Access, Exchange, One Note, One Drive, 

and Skype for Business. Office 365 will transform the end-user experience 

and provide better and more innovative tools.

Sit back and enjoy this fun-filled and informative issue.

Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) CIO Annette Moore and NASA CIO Renee Wynn visit network 

operations at the Moscow Mission Control Center in Russia, March 10-27, 2018.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Apr - Jun 2018 3

Message from the NASA CIO 
Office 365 Coming Soon to NASA!

By Emily Townsend, EUSO Communications Lead, Marshall Space Flight Center

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

capability to our users.

Office 365 is a cloud-based e-mail, 

calendaring, and collaboration service, 

hosted by Microsoft. Office 365 lets 

you access your e-mail, calendar, address book, and tasks through a Web 

browser on any NASA computer with 

a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) 

badge. All NASA employees will receive access to Office 365.

Office 365 will eventually serve as the 

Agency’s single cloud-based solution, 

replacing multiple collaboration tools 

we now have in place, including Exchange e-mail and calendaring, Skype, 

and Microsoft Office 2013.

NASA will initially implement e-mail and 

calendaring, OneDrive, OneNote, and 

Skype for Business. Implementation of 

Microsoft Office applications will follow 

in a later phase.

OneDrive for Business is the Microsoft cloud storage service that comes 

with Office 365. With OneDrive, you 

can securely store all your files in one 

place, share them with others, and 

get to them from any NASA device 

with a PIV reader. Every NASA user 

will have unlimited storage online, 

and with OneDrive, you will be able to 

sync and share your OneNote workbooks.

For e-mail, NASA users will migrate to 

Exchange Online in the Cloud, where 

they will receive secure access to their 

e-mail, calendar, and contacts. Exchange Online helps protect mailboxes 

with advanced capabilities, such as 

anti-malware and anti-spam filtering.

Skype for Business will provide similar 

functionality that users experience now 

with the ability to host team meetings 

and use Instant Messaging (IM).

“We are excited to be implementing Office 365 across NASA. This technology 

is industry-leading for our workforce, 

while supporting NASA’s plans to enhance our Agency’s security posture,” 

said Sittra Battle, Program Manager for 

the End User Services Program Office 

(EUSO).

The Agency is working toward an Office 365 pilot sometime in the summer, followed by general deployment in 

the fall. Look for more information on 

https://inside.nasa.gov/euso or through 

your Center communication channels.

NEW Cloud Computing Seminar Series:

How to Cloud for Earth Scientists

By Karen Petraska, Program Executive for Computing Services, Headquarters

Wish you could analyze the whole dataset, and not just selected pieces? 

Tired of waiting for your four-year-old 

server to crunch through the last job? 

Cloud computing may be able to help.

NASA projects are increasingly embracing the use of cloud computing, 

leveraging the nearly boundless computing capacity and extremely efficient 

cloud services. To promote further 

cloud adoption, the Goddard Space 

Flight Center (GSFC) Earth Sciences 

Division and Earth Science Data and Information System Project have teamed 

to launch a seminar series called “How 

to Cloud for Earth Scientists” aimed 

at increasing awareness of how cloud 

computing can be applied to the work 

of the science community to facilitate 

scientific data processing and analysis.

In the first of a series of monthly seminars, Dr. Chris Lynnes, Earth Observing 

System Data and Information System 

(EOSDIS) System Architect, surveys a 

wide variety of cloud computing services 

that can be leveraged for Earth observation data analysis. There have been four 

seminars to date, and both YouTube 

video and slides can be found for all of 

them at this link: https://earthdata.nasa.

gov/user-resources/webinars-and-tutorials/how-to-cloud-for-earth-scientists.

Subsequent seminars will continue to 

drill down into how to use cloud computing, with an emphasis on the practical, including a look at strategies and 

methods for parallel computing in the 

cloud, cloud data storage, and exploring some NASA-specific resources for 

working in and with the cloud.

If you are interested in receiving information about scheduled “How 

to Cloud for Earth Scientists” seminars, please contact Chris Lynnes at 

christopher.s.lynnes@nasa.gov. You do 

not have to be a scientist to take advantage of this unique opportunity to 

learn more about how NASA does science.

If you are interested in using cloud computing to assist in your work, please 

contact your Center’s Chief Information 

Officer (CIO) office and speak with their 

Cloud Computing Point of Contact: 

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

cloudservices/Pages/About-Us.aspx. 

The Cloud POC can connect you with 

appropriate resources.

4 www.nasa.gov
Security Tips: Meltdown and Spectre

By Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, Headquarters

Early in 2018, the world learned of two 

mysterious information security vulnerabilities: Meltdown and Spectre. Behind the dramatic names, cybersecurity practitioners and many end users 

wondered how exposed their devices 

and information were. Once the dust 

settled, we were introduced to two new 

vulnerabilities that exploit processor 

operations for the chips found in most 

of our computers and smartphones.

Typically, cybersecurity threats surround flaws in software rather than chip 

hardware. Both Meltdown and Spectre 

open doors to kernels of memory that 

can include passwords, documents, 

photos, etc. Meltdown affects computers and cloud servers and does not 

value any type of operating system or 

software over another. Spectre, using 

alternative methods to Meltdown, accesses kernels of memory; impacts 

computers, cloud servers, and mobile 

devices; and is difficult to employ.

Most vendors and manufacturers (including Apple, Microsoft, Android, 

Google, Amazon, etc.) have released 

software patches to mitigate the impact 

of Meltdown and Spectre. Not sure if 

you have the latest software for your 

personal devices? Check with your 

vendor for the current update number.

While these vulnerabilities do not leak 

information on their own, malicious actors, applications, or code can exploit 

these weaknesses if efforts are not taken to plug the holes.

NASA’s cybersecurity teams work every day to protect you and keep Agency information and networks free from 

unauthorized access. You can support 

NASA’s efforts by staying on the cybersecurity TRACKS.

Remember, cybersecurity begins and 

ends with you!

THINK Before you click, verify e-mail senders, links, and attachments.

REPORT Contact NASA’s Security Operations Center, available 24/7, to report 

any suspicious cyber activity or incidents.

ACCEPT Install software and application updates on Agency devices promptly.

CONNECT To automatically receive Agency Consolidated End-user Services (ACES) weekly updates, leave your 

computer connected to NASA’s network 

and left at the operating system login 

screen during the patching window.

KNOW Don’t take the bait! Look for the signs of phishing: misspellings, requests for sensitive personal information, 

and hidden URLs.

SECURE Protect sensitive information, like Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU) 

and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), 

when viewing, transmitting, or storing data.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Apr - Jun 2018 5
What Can IT Do with Extreme Prototyping? A Lot.

By Tom Soderstrom, IT Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, and Michael “Mik” Cox, IT Data Scientist, 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

In May 2017, we came up with a 

completely crazy idea that seemed 

extremely difficult to implement. We 

would execute a complex demo 

on technology that did not exist 

yet. We would involve new and inexperienced people and require IT 

to work with several Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory (JPL) organizations plus 

Amazon Web Services (AWS). We 

would incorporate several different 

types of rovers communicating and 

coordinating with each other. Most 

importantly, we would demonstrate 

this new concept on a large, public 

stage six months later.

Here are the basics of the idea that 

we ended up calling “A Diverse Robotic Swarm”:

1. We would bring in two students to build a new rover from 

scratch using inexpensive, 

commercially available hardware and software, so that we 

could later release the rover as 

open source. This would help 

generate interest in NASA, robotics, and science and lead to 

hands-on training for the next 

generation of explorers.

2. We would make the parts list so 

cheap that schools or hobbyists 

could afford it. The previous rover took five engineers more than 

a year to build and came with a 

parts list that totaled over $30K. 

Our two student interns would 

have 10 weeks to build it with a 

parts list worth less than $3K.

3. We would prototype and implement new technology with AWS 

that was under deep nondisclosure agreement and that would 

(for the first time) extend the 

edge of the cloud to microprocessors. This would allow our 

robots to use off-the-shelf software for communication and 

coordination, which would be a 

big win for JPL and NASA.

4. We would create a platform for 

the public to continually improve 

the open-source rover with new 

engineering and science experiments.

5. We would build a Mars-like environment on stage and have 

several types of rovers, with dif6 www.nasa.gov
ferent capabilities, collaborate 

to find life...all live in front of a 

global audience.

What could possibly go wrong?

As it turned out, many things went 

wrong throughout the life cycle. 

However, because of the extremely 

tight timeframe necessary to implement it, we quickly pivoted and 

found a solution for each item. Here 

are a few examples:

• The rover (currently called the 

Open Source Rover, or OSR) 

consisted of many small and 

inexpensive parts, which was 

a challenge for our logistics 

system. However, the JPL acquisition personnel were able 

to help, and we ordered (and 

refined and reordered) the parts 

just in time to build our many 

OSR prototypes and improve 

them.

• There was no available “maker 

space” for IT to create a rover. 

However, because IT partnered 

with several organizations, we 

were able to find and borrow 

shared lab space for machining 

and assembling the OSR.

• Our scope was larger than 

our timeframe. We wanted to 

implement several advanced 

features, including completely 

automated artificial intelligence 

and augmented reality on all 

rovers. Because of the extremely aggressive deadline, we were 

able to down-scope to ensure 

we could deliver the basics.

• Off-the-shelf, inexpensive parts 

break a lot. We mitigated this by 

having many spare parts and 

learned how to replace them 

quickly.

• Although the two students (Eric 

Junkins and Olivia Lofaro) were 

very bright and motivated, they 

had no experience with the JPL 

system. They were also led by 

an early-career hire (Mik Cox) 

with no JPL robotics experience. We mitigated 

this by asking the 

engineers who had 

built the previous 

rover to serve as 

a review board, 

where they gave 

comments in live, 

hands-on demos 

every two weeks. 

This greatly improved the design 

throughout the tenweek period and 

allowed us to rapidly pivot away from 

ideas that might 

lead us astray.

In the end, it worked! 

The distributed brain/

distributed body Diverse Robotic Swarm introduced 

the new Open Source Rover as 

well as the smaller JPL DROP (Wall 

Climber) and Puffer robots running 

on microcontrollers and using new 

AWS technology to collaborate on a 

“Martian” stage in front of thousands 

of people to execute a single NASA 

mission: Find life. And it did. This 

was voted the top demonstration 

at the event’s Maker Faire. You can 

see the eight-minute demo from the 

AWS re:Invent conference at https://

youtu.be/gAi18SbtWwU?t=53m8s.

Some of the benefits and lessons 

learned from this extremely rapid 

prototyping include the following:

• IT personnel established new relationships with key NASA missions, such as robotics. These 

relationships have already created new opportunities for the 

robotics and IT organizations.

• JPL was able to influence the 

development of the AWS software that extended the cloud to 

microcontrollers. This will help 

robotics going forward as we 

can now use standard software 

packages to facilitate communication between many different 

types of robots, as well as communication to the cloud for extended computing as needed.

• JPL was able to recruit new 

personnel to the NASA mission. 

Eric Junkins joined JPL IT fulltime upon graduation, and Olivia Lofaro (who is still in school) 

has been offered a second internship.

• We can get the public and 

schools engaged and excited 

about IT, engineering, and science through the open-source 

platform. We are now working with several schools to 

beta-test the build instructions 

and build the first of the Open 

Source Rovers. The program 

will be released to the general 

public in April 2018.

In the end, this type of high-risk, 

low-cost, fast-paced, start-up style 

of development—while not appropriate for everything—can help us 

experiment with and infuse new 

technologies faster. It was challenging, but also engaging and fun. 

It is generating excitement with the 

public, as evidenced by the positive 

engagement at the re:Invent conference as well as the Consumer 

Electronics Show in January 2018. 

We look forward to seeing how the 

public will engage and help us innovate with the Open Source Rover 

and beyond.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Apr - Jun 2018 7
Spring 2018 Datanauts

Lori Parker, IT Specialist (Policy and Planning), Headquarters

NASA has selected the fifth class of 

Datanauts—50 individuals eager to engage with NASA’s open data, collaborate with peers, and learn new skills. 

The NASA Datanauts Initiative was born 

out of NASA’s focus on women in data, 

welcoming anyone interested in technology, data science, Earth, and space. 

The Datanaut community now includes 

designers, developers, data scientists, 

students, storytellers, career transitioners, managers, and entrepreneurs.

The program encourages collaboration 

between members, merging ideas and 

skills. The first four cohorts (2015–17) 

built an ecosystem of problem-solvers, 

beta-testing data science and data analytics concepts in a collaborative setting. Each new cohort builds upon the 

previous one—the fifth class will grow 

data science skills while aiding the 

Agency in bringing modern concepts 

and ideas to leadership.

Datanauts is a year-round opportunity 

to learn and practice data science skills 

with prior participants, aiding NASA in 

engaging unique communities with our 

open data and data science, specifically reaching out to women and girls. 

Datanauts will follow community activities via https://open.nasa.gov, including challenge tracks, learning tracks 

with supporting tutorials, and project 

workspaces. The class will leverage 

their existing skills, learn new ones, and 

communicate with NASA experts. We 

will continue weekly “data water cooler 

chats” with NASA data experts, former 

Datanauts, and external data innovation champions.

Spring 2018 Datanauts Kickoff on February 7, 2018 at NASA Headquarters.

8 www.nasa.gov
Building Blocks

Through a continual feedback loop, 

each Datanauts class builds on the lessons and experiences of the ones prior. 

This class is characterized by

• opportunities for self-driven exploration/experimentation;

• regular Datanauts project presentations;

• a problem-solving mode enhanced 

by diversity of thought, technical expertise, experience, and culture;

• a welcoming environment encouraging risk-taking and a knowledge sharing culture; and

• insight into technology trends that may 

innovate NASA’s IT environment.

The spring 2018 class kicked off at 

NASA Headquarters on February 7. 

Featured speakers included NASA’s 

Chief Information Officer, Renee Wynn; 

the Director of Astrophysics, Dr. Paul 

Hertz; and astronaut Alvin Drew. The 

NASA team demonstrated https://open.

nasa.gov, and all participants engaged 

in PCB Board Design. Welcome to all 

new Datanauts and welcome back to 

alumni who are working to collaborate, 

mentor, and hone data science skills.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Apr - Jun 2018 9
BSA Corner

By Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, Headquarters

Throughout the winter, IT staff across 

the Agency continued the implementation of the seven Mission Support 

Council–approved, Information Technology Business Services Assessment 

(IT BSA) decision areas: Roles and Responsibilities, Governance, Computing 

Services, Communications, Workstations, Collaboration, and IT Security. 

After the 2015 deep dive into IT and its 

services, the Business Services Steering Committee (BSSC) recommended 

changes in these areas to improve collaboration, limit redundancies, and uncover efficiencies.

Setting the pace, the Collaboration and 

IT Security decision areas officially completed their implementation activities 

by the end of 2017. Congratulations to 

these teams and thank you to all who 

supported these efforts from across the 

Agency. We are excited by the advances 

made, as well as the future impacts of 

the work. For example, the Collaborations Tool Portal has been established 

(https://inside.nasa.gov/ecs/approvedcollaboration-tools), and interested 

users can find tools available to them. 

Coming in 2018, the Core Suite of Collaboration Tools (designed to meet nearly all of your teamwork needs) will be 

populated with Office 365 and Cisco capabilities. Larger inboxes, bigger Skype 

meetings, and easy document sharing 

are on the horizon!

Cybersecurity and protecting NASA’s 

networks and data are top priorities for 

the Agency. Establishing a risk management framework and deploying the 

Department of Homeland Security’s 

(DHS) Continuous Diagnostics and 

Mitigation (CDM) tools have given cybersecurity personnel greater insight 

into our networks, devices attached, 

and associated risks.

Compliments to the Computing Services and Communications teams for 

being next across the finish line! 

These decision areas were officially fully implemented 

in February 2018. The 

Computing Services Program put together a detailed 

data center architecture, established 

oversight of all data center and cloud 

service investments, and continued 

monthly Cloud Community of Interest 

forums for interested users across the 

Agency.

The Communications Program continued enterprise consolidation of a number of communications services under 

the Network Transformation Initiative 

(NTI), unifying investments through 

shared funding and sources. When 

consolidating contracts, IT services 

pool their resources and requirements 

to negotiate together for comprehensive contracts, resulting in savings that 

are reinvested back into those same 

services! 

Runner Report

The baton has been passed to our final 

three decision areas. To be completed 

in the near future are organizational 

changes for the Office of the Chief Information Officer (we’ll be welcoming 

the Applications Division); strategic 

sourcing guidelines; and the use of enterprise contracts for 80 percent of our 

laptops, desktops, and workstations. 

Good luck on 

the sprint to 

the finish!

Paperwork 

Reduction Act

What is the Paperwork Reduction Act 

(PRA)? The PRA, passed in 1980 and 

again in 1995, requires Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval 

for Federal data collection, with few exceptions. NASA is obligated to limit the 

public burden: “the total time, effort, or 

financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or 

disclose or provide information to or for 

a Federal agency” (NASA Interim Directive [NID] 1417.102, p. 7). To collect information from the public on behalf of 

NASA, PRA clearance is required.

Does this affect my project? Data collection from ten or more members of 

the public triggers PRA requirements. 

The PRA considers the public “an individual, partnership, association, 

corporation, business trust, or legal 

representative, an organized group of 

individuals, a State, territorial, tribal, or 

local government or branch thereof, or 

a political subdivision, and federal contractors” (NID 1417.102, p. 1).

To find out whether your project falls 

under the umbrella of the PRA, contact 

the Agency PRA Clearance Officer for 

guidance through the OMB approval 

process, which includes a public comment period, dispositioned feedback, 

and final OMB review. Approved information collection must carry the PRA 

statement and OMB control number. 

The process takes about six months to 

complete.

Not all collections need PRA approval. 

Some projects, e.g., customer surveys, 

focus groups, and usability testing, can 

use NASA’s Generic Clearance. Others, like social media, message boards, 

contests, and design challenges, may 

not require any clearance. Of note, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval 

does not substitute for PRA clearance; 

projects may require one, both, or neither.

What if I don’t use PRA? While it may 

seem challenging to make sure your 

research complies with the PRA, not 

reporting may impact your project. To 

10 www.nasa.gov
Introducing NASA’s IT Strategic Plan

By Meredith Isaacs, Communications Specialist, and Jon Walsh, IT Strategic Planner, Headquarters

What does IT do? Information 

technology (IT) is more than the 

computers on our desks, Internet 

connections, and e-mail inboxes. 

Innovation, data, and technology 

drive much of our work at NASA, 

enabling mission outcomes like 

International Space Station operations, human exploration in nearEarth orbit, new discoveries in our 

universe, air transportation system 

improvements, and innovations in 

science and technology.

Strategically managed IT contributes to NASA’s missions in a number of ways, including

• sharing NASA’s data and 

results through open, appropriate access;

• increasing mission quality 

and effectiveness through 

data and technology;

• accelerating mission results 

through increased productivity;

• increasing mission safety and 

integrity through adaptive 

and resilient cybersecurity;

• increasing mission costeffectiveness by driving 

efficiency and reinvesting the difference; and

• driving new discoveries and 

mission concepts as a strategic partner on new capabilities like data science.

To support NASA’s Vision and Mission and to realize our IT vision of 

managing IT as a strategic resource 

to securely unleash the power of 

data, NASA created the Information Technology Strategic Plan, effective for fiscal years 2018–2021. 

The Agency’s goals for IT are as 

follows:

Goal 1—Excellence: Partner with 

customers to consistently deliver 

excellence and enable mission success. 

Goal 2—Data: Capitalize on data 

management, access, and innovation. 

Goal 3—Cybersecurity: Safeguard NASA’s data and IT assets.

Goal 4—Value: Maximize business value by optimizing IT.

Goal 5—People: Care for our 

people today and prepare them for 

tomorrow.

This plan was created in conjunction with NASA’s Office of the 

Chief Information Officer (OCIO) 

and leaders and representatives 

from the Agency’s Mission Directorates, mission support organizations, and Center communities. 

The strategic goals, objectives, 

and measures will help achieve 

NASA’s Vision to discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of 

humanity. The Agency will evaluate this plan annually, and update 

the plan as needed, in alignment 

with the NASA Strategic Plan, 

Presidential administration direction and priorities, and Federal 

laws and policies.

When published, you will find the 

NASA Information Technology 

Strategic Plan here: https://www.

nasa.gov/ocio

Send us your questions! AgencyITSP@mail.nasa.gov

avoid work stoppage while obtaining 

a late clearance, contact the Agency 

PRA Clearance Officer before you need 

to collect information. The Officer reports PRA violations and NASA’s steps 

to resolve noncompliance.

What do I need to do? When collecting 

information from ten or more members 

of the public (remember, this group is 

larger than you think!), make sure you 

contact the Agency PRA Clearance 

Officer. They determine PRA eligibility, 

suggest modifications to fit NASA’s Generic Clearance, and walk you through 

the OMB approval process.

Contact the Acting Agency PRA Clearance Officer at 202-358-1351.

To read more, visit https://inside.nasa.

gov/ocio/information/info_pra/index.

html.

NASA Interim Directive (NID) 1417.102 

NASA Paperwork Reduction Act 

(PRA) Compliance Program: https://

nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/OPD_docs/

NID_1417_102_.pdf.

NASA OCIO IT Talk Apr - Jun 2018 11
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of the Chief Information Officer

300 E Street, SW

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov

Space Agency CIO Forum

6 March 2018 - Washington, D.C.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

www.nasa.gov

Awards 

FCW magazine included three NASA employees among their 

2018 Federal 100 winners, honoring work in Federal Government information technology. Congratulations to Headquarters’ 

Mamta Patel Nagaraja (science engagement for NASA Science 

Communications) and Michael Powers (an IT Security Manager 

in NASA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer), as well as 

NASA Shared Services Center’s James “Jim” Walker (Former 

Shared Services Portfolio Manager)! They will be profiled in 

FCW’s March/April issue online and were honored at FCW’s 

Federal 100 gala in late March.

Colleagues Luis Bares, Michael Powers, Emma Antunes, and 

Jeff Seaton from the NASA Office of the Chief Information Officer celebrate the 29th Annual Fed100 awards in Washington, 

DC. For a list of winners visit https://fcw.com/fed100

Honors

At the end of 2017, FedTech

magazine named NASA’s Space 

Data Daily to their list of 30 2017 

Must-Read Federal IT Blogs.

Part of the Agency’s Open Data 

Initiative, the blog is a gateway to 

NASA data for citizen scientists, 

developers, citizen activists, govvies, and the curious!

Check it out at:

https://open.nasa.gov/blog/

IT Talk