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Space Data: NASA's Future Data Volumes Create Formidable Challenges

IMTEC-91-24 Published: Apr 08, 1991. Publicly Released: Apr 26, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) future storage needs and its initiatives for using information technologies.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1. The Administrator, NASA, should review the current plans for EOSDIS and CDOS and ensure that unnecessary data holdings are eliminated, and that project funding is reduced accordingly.
Closed – Implemented
A permanent archive has been designed into EDOS, and will be removed from EOSDIS.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2. To keep congressional oversight committees abreast of key information technology initiatives, the Administrator, NASA, should require NASA comptroller officials to either: (1) prepare separate project status reports on EOSDIS and CDOS; or (2) make their costs and progress clearly visible within an existing project status report.
Closed – Implemented
NASA is now reporting costs of EOSDIS separately in an existing project status report.

Full Report

Full Report (32 pages)

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Topics

Space
Aerospace researchComputer networksCost analysisCost controlData storageEarth sciences data systemsBroadcasting standardsEarth observing systemInformation systemsScientists