[ale] Fwd: NASA Clears The Runway For Open Source Software

[Jim Kinney]

More government support of open source

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NASA News <hqnews at mediaservices.nasa.gov>
Date: Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 12:42 PM
Subject: NASA Clears The Runway For Open Source Software
To: NASA News <hqnews at mediaservices.nasa.gov>

Jan. 18, 2012

Sonja Alexander
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1761
sonja.r.alexander at nasa.gov

Jessica Culler
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
650-604-4789
jessica.culler at nasa.gov



RELEASE: 12-021

NASA CLEARS THE RUNWAY FOR OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- The NASA Open Government Initiative has
launched a new website to expand the agency's open source software
development

Open source development, which invites the public access to view and
improve software source code, is transforming the way software is
created, improved and used. NASA uses open source code to address
project and mission needs, accelerate software development and
maximize public awareness and impact of research.

In 2009, the White House issued the Open Government Directive, which
requires federal agencies to take specific steps to achieve
milestones that are transparent. NASA's Open Government Plan has been
recognized as one of the best. NASA was among several federal
agencies recognized with two leading practices awards from the White
House for achievement above and beyond the requirements in the
"Participation and Collaboration" and "Flagship Initiatives"
categories of the Open Government Directive.

"The site represents a natural extension of NASA's efforts to inform,
educate and include the public in our mission to pioneer the future
in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research,"
said Deborah Diaz, NASA's Deputy Chief Information Officer. "Citizen
involvement in our work is a critical component of our success."

NASA Open Government launched the new site as part of its Open Source
Software Flagship Initiative with the goal showcasing existing
projects, providing a forum for discussion, and guiding internal and
external groups in open development, release and contribution.

"We released the site on Jan. 4 and since have received an
overwhelming response from people interested in using our code," said
Nick Skytland, Program Manager of NASA's Open Government Initiative.
"Our goal is to provide the public direct and ongoing access to NASA
technology."

"We believe tomorrow's space and science systems will be built in the
open, and that code.nasa.gov will play a big part in getting us
there," said William Eshagh, NASA Open Government co-lead on the
project at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

To view the site, visit:


http://code.nasa.gov

For more information on Open Government, visit:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/open

For more information on NASA's Open Government Initiative, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/open

-end-

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-- 
Ginny Mauldin-Kinney
Geology Graduate Student - Planetary Geomorphology
Dept. of Geosciences
Georgia State University

NASA-JPL Solar System Ambassador - Georgia
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador

Author, Geologic Site Bulletin
Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield Park

Contributing Writer
Tucker.Patch.com

“What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know for
sure that just ain't so.” ~Mark Twain

“Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some
passion, than fade and wither dismally with age." ~James Joyce
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