About Us

Mission Statement

We are committed to accuracy, fairness, and responsible disclosure. We verify information, correct errors promptly, and focus on matters of genuine public concern. We do not share information that could harm NASA's legitimate interests. We maintain anonymity so that we can share both celebrations and concerns freely, without fear of reprisal.

Editorial Standards

This blog features multiple contributors, each writing under their own alias. We embrace diverse voices, styles, and perspectives.
Regardless of individual style, all contributors are:

• Respectful. We critique decisions and policies, not people's character or worth
• Constructive. We focus on problems and potential solutions, not just complaints
• Fact-based. We ground criticism in evidence, not speculation or rumor
• Fair. We represent situations accurately, acknowledge complexity and competing priorities

Each contributor owns their posts and endeavors to meet these standards.

When we disagree with NASA decisions:

• We explain why we believe the decision is problematic, with specific evidence.
• We acknowledge legitimate constraints or counterarguments when they exist.
• We avoid false equivalence. Some decisions are simply indefensible.

NASA's leadership are public figures responsible for decisions that affect the public interest. We may name decision-makers, but our focus is always on decisions and outcomes, not personal attacks.

We genuinely love NASA. Celebrating its successes is central to our mission. We celebrate innovations, breakthroughs, and achievements that advance NASA's mission and humanity. Some things NASA does are just too amazing not to share!

Boundaries

We are committed to responsible disclosure. There are clear lines we will not cross.
What we will NOT publish:

• Trade secrets, proprietary information, classified or controlled information. This includes anything subject to legal restrictions (CUI, ITAR, export controlled, classified materials, etc.).
• Personal information, including home addresses, personal phone numbers, financial details, medical information, or other private data about individuals.
• Security vulnerabilities or any information that could compromise physical security, cybersecurity, or safety systems.
• Information that puts people at risk and could endanger individuals or operations.
• Information that identifies our sources. We will never reveal who provides us with information unless it is specifically requested by the source. Even in that case we may decide not to reveal the source.

What we WILL publish:

• How public funds are spent and whether spending serves the public interest.
• Safety concerns and risks to people or missions.
• Waste, fraud, mismanagement, or abuse of resources.
• Impacts to NASA's mission or public trust.

Some decisions are judgment calls. We err on the side of caution when safety is at stake, and on the side of transparency when the issue is accountability.

Fact checking and verification

Every claim we make must be grounded in evidence. We verify information before publishing and maintain high standards for accuracy.

Sometimes we have strong reason to believe something is true but cannot fully verify it. In these cases:

• We clearly label the information as unconfirmed, such as "Multiple sources suggest..."
• We explain why we believe it's worth sharing despite uncertainty.
• We invite readers to provide additional information or confirmation.
• We commit to updating if we learn more.

Correction and retraction policies

We will make mistakes. When we do, we correct them promptly, transparently, and completely.
When we discover an error:

• Minor errors (typos, dates, minor factual mistakes that don't change the substance): These will be corrected in the original post with a note indicating so at the bottom.
• Significant errors (major factual mistakes that affect the post's conclusions or credibility): We will correct the original post and place a prominent note at the top explaining what was wrong and what changed.
• Fundamental errors (the core claim is wrong, or we published something we shouldn't have): Retract the post entirely with an explanation of why.

Errors don't undermine credibility, hiding them does. We own our mistakes publicly and learn from them.