The Future of NASA IT

By Keith Cowing on August 28, 2009 11:52 PM

NASA could outsource flights and insource IT, Next.gov

"Any outsourcing of NASA's human spaceflight program would not necessarily disrupt cloud computing advancements at the Silicon Valley-based Ames Research Center, said officials at NASA headquarters earlier this week. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at an Aug. 19 space and missile defense conference in Huntsville, Ala., that the department will look to the commercial space sector that is capable of providing launch services and building satellites to help expand the frontier of space exploration. NASA reportedly is contemplating moving away from traditional parts of the space program, such as transporting people and materials into orbit, because of growing costs. But Ames' cloud computing initiative Nebula, aimed at remotely hosting Web services, data storage and IT equipment for other NASA agencies, could help contain those costs, said Ames Chief Information Officer Chris Kemp, who is leading the program and involved in the federal government's cloud computing working group."

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6 Comments

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mpkm | August 29, 2009 4:40 AM | Reply

News appears strange. It is easy and practical to out source computing resources than out sourcing space operations such as manned missions. Unmanned probably OK. I guess X-34, X-33 were out sourced . What happened finally ?

Now the computer hardware is more affordable. Each center should be free to get their-own or locally out-source. No need for central computing facility.

Dan | August 29, 2009 7:45 AM | Reply

Hopefully, NASA IT personnel will be able to solve more mundane issues first such as that of maintaining a personnel directory of currently employed people before taking on much greater challenges.

Then again... contracting out that innovative bit of IT to external contractors with a proven business IT track record in this area just might be what NASA needs.

Maxwell | August 29, 2009 10:15 AM | Reply

There are hundreds of companies that can do good IT work.
There are at least a half dozen companies that do launches.
Only NASA has landed on the moon.

Connectivity doesn't sound like the best way to use their resources.
I understand the bit about saving money to do more space exploration later. Yet I wonder if NASA gets a cut of everyone elses budgetary pie for helping them too, or do they just get a high five for a good days work and another slice of funding removed next year (along with this expense)?

Linux Xeon cluster | August 29, 2009 10:32 AM | Reply

I'm laughing

Can anyone say NOMAD, JSC and MSFC providing a "common" IT resource at the Spaceflight centers providing a GAP of now at 8 years for HSF.
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Now the computer hardware is more affordable. Each center should be free to get their-own or locally out-source. No need for central computing facility.
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I could not agree more, this is the way it once was. I myself to not use ODIN or NOMAD unless I have no other choice which is not the case at the moment. This effort is not only for NASA but the US Govt as a whole.

My goodness please do not bring up NIST and IT security without funding for FISMA.

I have no use for Nebula, however it appears others might.

Marcel F. Williams | August 29, 2009 3:30 PM | Reply

The only existing outsource for manned flight is Russia. We have no idea when private industry will be ready to take on the task safe manned flight to LEO.

Of course, NASA or the military could always allow private industry to purchase a man-rated vehicle from NASA or the military. But since private industry views the government as the problem, why would they do that:-).

AnObamanaut | August 31, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply

A most excellent article was just published by Harvard Business about "outsourcing" mentioning NASA & DOD & Boeing, etc. for IT & aerospace commercial along with & a Noble Economics winner advice.

Worth a read (& the Augustine commission should have a look too!)

Outsourcing: Where Will You Draw the Line?
3:15 PM Monday August 31, 2009
by Ben Gomes-Casseres

The Defense Department is due to report to Congress that in Afghanistan, U.S. troops continue to be outnumbered by private contractors. The contractors are described as performing auxiliary duties so that military personnel can focus on core tasks. Sound familiar? How many companies do you know that have outsourced "non-core" activities to focus on its "core competence"?

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/08/outsourcing_where_will_you_dra.html