NASA Security & Export Control: Analyses & Perspectives

Weaknesses in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) export control policy and implementation of foreign national access procedures at some centres increase the risk of unauthorised access to export-controlled technologies. NASA policies provide Center Directors the ability to implement export controls at their centres. NASA develops sophisticated technologies and shares with them its international partners. U.S. export control regulations require NASA to identify and protect its sensitive technology; NASA delegates implementation of export controls to its 10 research and space centres. Recent allegations of export control violations at two NASA centres have raised questions about NASA’s ability to protect its sensitive technologies. GAO was asked to review NASA’s export control program. This book assesses NASA’s export control policies and how centres implement them; and the extent to which NASA Headquarters and CEAs apply oversight of centre compliance with its export control policies.