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NASA
Procedural
Requirements

NPR 8705.4B
Effective Date: November 01, 2024
Expiration Date: October 31, 2032

COMPLIANCE IS MANDATORY FOR NASA EMPLOYEES

Subject: Risk Classification for NASA Payloads

Responsible Office: Office of Safety and Mission Assurance

Chapter 2. Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Mission Directorate Associate Administrator

2.1.1 As stated in NPD 1000.3, The NASA Organization, the MDAA is responsible for defining, funding, evaluating, advocating, and overseeing the implementation of NASA programs and projects to ensure their outcomes meet schedule and cost constraints as well as performance requirements. As part of this responsibility, the MDAA operating or sponsoring the mission:

a. Establishes and documents the mission and instrument risk class(es) and associated SMA objectives for NASA missions and instruments with support from the Chief, SMA, and the Chief Engineer. The ultimate Mission and Instrument risk classification responsibility, however, resides with the MDAA or delegee.

Note: A constellation of spacecraft may be treated as one mission with a single risk classification. When individual elements of NASA missions and instruments have distinct mission objectives, the MDAA may designate different risk tolerance class(es) for the corresponding elements.

b. Reviews for approval the project’s formulation of SMA objectives consistent with the designated risk tolerance class(es) delineated in paragraph 3.2.

c. Ensures that program and project planning documents and corresponding implementation address general safety requirements that do not vary by risk class(es) delineated in paragraph 3.3.1.

2.1.2 As specified in NPR 8000.4, Agency Risk Management Procedural Requirements, programmatic authorities are accountable for risk acceptance decisions for their programs and projects throughout the program and project life cycle. The MDAA, via the NASA program offices, flow risk acceptance authority down to NASA project offices as defined in their program-level documentation.

2.2 NASA Project Manager

2.2.1 The NASA Project Manager is responsible for:

a. Establishing, documenting, and executing the project’s SMA Plan specifying assurance plans, standards, methods, processes, and practices that address SMA objectives for the established risk class(es) established by the Mission Directorate and general safety requirements that do not vary by risk class(es) delineated in paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3.1, respectively.

b. Reporting execution status of the project’s detailed implementation of assurance standards, methods, processes, and practices to the Mission Directorate, the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA), and the Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) at all Key Decision Points (KDPs), Life-Cycle Reviews (LCRs), and the Safety and Mission Success Review (SMSR).

c. Ensuring that contractor operations and designs are evaluated for consistency and compliance with the safety and health provisions provided in their contractor agreements.

Note: When the responsible Mission Directorate or NASA program office has not established a NASA project office, any responsibilities or requirements levied on the NASA Project Manager in this directive are levied on the NASA Program Manager.

2.3 The Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance

2.3.1 The Chief, SMA, as stated in NPD 1000.3, is responsible for advising the Administrator and other senior officials on matters related to risk, safety, and mission success. As part of this responsibility, the Chief, SMA:

a. Supports Mission Directorates in the development and review of the mission and instrument risk class(es) for NASA missions and instruments.

b. Reviews the project’s formulation of SMA objectives consistent with the designated risk tolerance class(es).

c. Supports Mission Directorates in the implementation of SMA directives and requirements provided in this NPR and delineated in paragraph 3.3.1.

d. Exercises general oversight and coordinates Agency-wide implementation of this NPR.

2.4 The Chief Engineer

2.4.1 The Chief Engineer, as stated in NPD 1000.3, is responsible for advising the Administrator and other senior officials on matters related to technical readiness in execution of NASA programs and projects. As part of this responsibility, the Chief Engineer:

a. Supports Mission Directorates in the development and review of risk class(es) for NASA missions and instruments.

b. Reviews the project’s formulation of SMA objectives consistent with the designated risk tolerance class(es).

2.5 Project-Level SMA Technical Authority

2.5.1 Project-Level SMA TAs are individuals appointed by the Center SMA Director to exercise the TA role within projects.

Note: When there is no NASA Project Office, the Project-Level SMA is held at a Program Level and are individuals appointed by the Center SMA Director to exercise the TA role within projects.

2.5.2 The Project-Level SMA TA is responsible for assuring that the formulation and implementation of the project’s SMA planning documents are technically sound and consistent with established risk class(es), associated SMA objectives, and general safety requirements that do not vary by risk class(es), delineated in paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3.1, respectively.