U.S. OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL TRANSMITS TO PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS NASA REPORT OF INVESTIGATION IN RESPONSE TO WHISTLEBLOWER’S ALLEGATIONS OF SPACE SHUTTLE SAFETY CONCERNS 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 12/6/99
CONTACT: JANE MCFARLAND
(202) 653-7984      

    The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) today transmitted to President Clinton and the Congress, an investigative report from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into whistleblower allegations of a substantial and specific danger to public safety within the Space Shuttle Program at NASA, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, Texas. 

    The NASA investigation was triggered by a disclosure made to the OSC by Ms. Mary D. Harris, an Electrical Engineer and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) expert with the Avionics Systems Division at JSC. She alleged that officials at JSC created and were perpetuating a serious risk to public safety, such as the in-flight failure of a space shuttle, by ignoring their own specifications and safety margins for the effects of electromagnetic interference between and among systems within a given space shuttle, called “critical boxes.” She alleged that for a period of ten years, from 1989 to 1999, NASA allowed shuttles to be sent into space when the EMI levels of the vehicles exceeded established safety margins, and routinely granted unsafe waivers of the EMI requirements. These practices, Ms. Harris maintained, created cause for concern that at some point, a critical shuttle component or system would fail, and a shuttle would crash because of the failure. 

    The OSC found that Ms. Harris’ disclosures demonstrated a substantial likelihood of specific danger to public safety, and forwarded the allegations to NASA, directing it to conduct an investigation and provide a written report.

    The NASA report is a comprehensive, detailed, and highly technical response to each of Ms. Harris’ specific allegations, and to her overall concerns about the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) discipline within the Space Shuttle program. In formulating its response, NASA brought together a review team (the Electromagnetic Effects (EME) Review Team), employing the expertise of six individuals, including both NASA employees and outside consultants. The report concluded that although no “specific danger to public health and safety,” or violations of law, rule, or regulation were found, areas for improvement in the Space Shuttle program EME process and documentation, and the need for specific requirement changes, were identified. The report stated that many of Ms. Harris’ concerns were valid and will result in enhancements to the Space Shuttle EMC program. 

    Based on its findings, NASA has stated that it will commit appropriate resources, including oversight and coordination, to improvements in the EMC program, including updating EMC requirements and control plans, instituting standard approaches for EMC/EMI waivers, testing and re-testing as necessary, improving record keeping, and maintaining complete and accurate test and qualification data records. 

    Among its other functions, the Office of Special Counsel provides federal employees with a secure channel for blowing the whistle on violations of law, rule or regulation, gross mismanagement or waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety. The OSC is empowered to require agencies to conduct investigations whenever it finds a substantial likelihood that a federal employee’s disclosures demonstrate the existence of one of these conditions, and to report back to the OSC its findings along with any corrective action taken. After the OSC reviews the report to insure that it contains the necessary information and that its findings appear reasonable, the OSC transmits the report to the President and the Congress for further action, if appropriate.

    Copies of the NASA report, Ms. Harris’ comments, and Special Counsel Elaine Kaplan’s transmittal letter can be obtained by contacting the OSC.

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