NASA to Illuminate Success: Small Business Administration's Annual Scorecard Event Finds Stellar Host

Media representatives are cordially invited to join the esteemed leaders of NASA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a momentous occasion at 9:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 18. This event, to be held at NASA Headquarters in Washington, aims to showcase the ranking of federal agencies in meeting their small business goals.

Under the joint guidance of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman will unveil the highly anticipated Fiscal Year 2022 Small Business Federal Procurement Scorecard, shedding light on NASA's rating in particular.

Esteemed personnel attending the event will include Karla Smith Jackson, NASA's Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer and Assistant Administrator for Procurement, as well as Glenn Delgado, Associate Administrator for NASA's Office of Small Business Programs. Notably, small business leaders who collaborate with NASA will also grace the occasion. Jackson and Delgado will be available for interviews following the news conference, providing an invaluable opportunity for further insights.

This momentous event will take place within NASA Headquarters' newly inaugurated Earth Information Center, housed in the Easy Lobby, precisely located at 300 E St. SW in Washington.

To ensure smooth facilitation, members of the media who wish to cover the event are kindly requested to RSVP to Tiffani Clements no later than two hours prior to the commencement of the event. The RSVP can be sent via email to tiffani.clements@sba.gov. It is worth noting that space is limited, so prompt response is advised.

In previous years, NASA has proudly achieved an "A" rating from the Small Business Administration for its outstanding collaboration with small businesses, including those that are historically underutilized, women-owned, and veteran-owned/service-disabled businesses. Such commendation highlights NASA's unwavering commitment to fostering a thriving small business ecosystem.

To delve deeper into NASA's Office of Small Business Programs and its initiatives, please visit the following link: https://www.nasa.gov/small_business.html.

On another exciting note, NASA is spearheading the future of spaceflight by establishing the Digital Engineering Design Center (DEDC) at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, thereby equipping the next generation of aerospace innovators with cutting-edge engineering skills.

Digital engineering, an emerging field of study, plays a crucial role in the efficient design of aerospace hardware. Gone are the days of manufacturing and assembling parts solely for testing purposes; instead, designs can now be meticulously built, tested, and refined within virtual environments. The ultimate aim of the digital engineering process is to create a singular, digital source that encompasses the entire project, ensuring accessibility for all stakeholders and seamless utilization throughout the development lifecycle.

The esteemed DEDC, operated by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Aerospace Center, is set to provide immersive, project-based learning and training on state-of-the-art digital engineering toolsets and processes. Through this program, NASA engineers and enrolled students will collaborate on projects related to in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), a crucial aspect of Artemis missions that seeks to enable astronauts to leverage resources found on the Moon and Mars. NASA engineers will share their valuable expertise in the ISRU discipline, while UTEP professors will provide instruction on digital engineering software, thereby creating a holistic learning environment.

Julie Kramer White, Director of Engineering at NASA Johnson, emphasized the significance of the DEDC, stating that it will help prepare a modern American aerospace workforce, equipping them with invaluable digital engineering skills and inspiring more students to pursue engineering careers. This collaborative effort underscores NASA's unwavering dedication to cultivating a talented, diverse, and motivated engineering community capable of meeting the agency's exploration goals.

The digital engineering process not only mitigates technical risks and accelerates development schedules but also facilitates collaboration among geographically dispersed teams, thus enhancing overall productivity.

In celebration of the momentous partnership between NASA and UTEP under the DEDC Space Act Agreement, joint ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held at Johnson Space Center and UTEP, attended by esteemed leaders from both NASA and the university.

The DEDC marks a significant collaboration between Johnson's Engineering Directorate and the Space Technology Mission Directorate, forging a path towards the future of space innovation. Furthermore, UTEP's participation in the Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium further solidifies its commitment to fostering communication and collaboration among academia, industry, and government in key Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative areas. This synergy promises exciting advancements on the lunar surface and beyond.