Release from TMC Technologies of West Virginia:
PLEASANT VALLEY, W.Va. — The next 10 days could be considered a critical test for NASA’s Commercial CrewProgram (CCP) Surveillance Lead Kathy Malnick.
Malnick, a senior systems engineer for TMC Technologies of West Virginia (TMC) leads the local contractor team as part of SAIC’s Systems and Software Assurance Services (SAS)contract, to provide assurance the mission software NASA CCP providers, SpaceX and Boeing, are using is both reliable and the safest it can be.
On Feb. 25, she travels to SpaceX headquarters in California to perform another in a series of space-flight software audits on the inaugural launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicle’s uncrewed Demo-1 test flight scheduled for Saturday, March 2.
“I’ll be part of a NASA team conducting another in a series of audits assessing how SpaceX engineers wrote the mission software to be used in the ground and flight systems for their CCP flights,” Malnick explained. “Essentially, I’m makingsure the processes they (SpaceX) used to build that software are as robust and consistent as possible which is a key factor in producing high quality, reliable software.”
Malnick, who works at the NASA Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) facility in Fairmont, WV as part of SAIC’s Systems and Software Assurance Services (SAS) contract, has been the NASA CCPSoftware and Mission Assurance surveillance lead for nearly 6 years. She is responsible for performing provider process documentation assessments as well as software process audit planning, preparation, onsite and post–audit support for the upcoming, March 2 SpaceX Demo-1 launch, the Boeing Orbital Flight test in April, and both companies crewed test flights scheduled for later this year.
Malnick’s commitment and extreme attention to detail on these audits was recognized by NASA in July 2018 when she was given the first-ever “Bacon Wrapped Scallop Moment Award” from the NASA CCP Integrated Software organization for her outstanding work and leadership in planning and conducting the SpaceX Software Process Audits.
TMC President and CEO Wade Linger said the work Malnick is doing for NASA’s CCP will help ensure the success and safety of future manned space flight missions.
“Kathy Malnick’s work will make sure the mission software is as safe as possible, ultimately protecting the lives of our brave astronauts,” Linger said.
For more information, please contact John Dahlia at TMC Technologies of West Virginia by phone at (681) 404-1225 or email at [email protected].
More about TMC Technologies of West Virginia:
TMC Technologies of West Virginia (TMC) (TMC) is a West Virginia-based Information Technology Services company focusing on the Space, Defense, Justice, Cybersecurity, Energy, and Natural Resources/Climate sectors. Our customers include the US Department of Justice (DoJ), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial customers.
Currently, TMC holds the following contract vehicles: GSA Schedule 70 (IT Services) GS-35F-0359P – Prime; FBI IT Supplies and Support Services (ITSSS) – Prime; NASA Technical Expertise Support Services (TESS) –Prime; NASA IV&V Systems and Software Engineering Tools (SET) – Prime; and Navy Seaport-NxG – Prime.
TMC actively supports the North Central WV community by donating to disadvantaged children’s programs,promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM) initiatives in local schools.
About NASA IV&V:
The Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility, home of NASA’s IV&VProgram, located in the heart of West Virginia’s technology sector in Fairmont, West Virginia was established in 1993 as a direct result of recommendations made by the National Research Council (NRC) and the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. Since its inception, the IV&VProgram has been contributing to the safety and success of NASA’s highest-profile missions by assuring thesoftware on those missions performs correctly. The IV&V Program falls administratively under NASA’sGoddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) located in Greenbelt, Maryland and operates under functional guidance from the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA).
About the NASA Commercial Crew Program:
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has worked with several American aerospace industry companies to facilitate the development of U.S. human spaceflight systems since 2010. The goal is to have safe, reliable and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and foster commercial access to other potential low-Earth orbit destinations.
- NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX in September 2014 to transport crew to the International Space Station from the United States. These integrated spacecraft, rockets and associated systems will carry up to four astronauts on NASA missions, maintaining a space station crew of seven to maximize time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting laboratory.
