Priority Open Recommendations: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

What GAO Found

In August 2025, GAO identified three priority recommendations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Since then, NASA has not implemented any priority recommendations.

In July 2026, GAO identified an additional priority recommendation, bringing the total to four. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention:

•  Monitoring program costs,
•  Managing cybersecurity risks, and
•  Using federal contracting metrics.

Addressing GAO’s recommendations in these areas would enhance NASA’s efforts to improve transparency into Artemis program and mission costs; help NASA understand its cybersecurity risks by performing an organization-wide cybersecurity risk assessment to identify and mitigate the highest priority cyber threats across the enterprise; and position NASA to make more informed management decisions and potentially save millions of dollars in its procurements. Taking action to implement all of GAO’s open priority recommendations would help enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations across NASA.

Why GAO Did This Study

Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or make progress toward addressing a high risk or duplication issue, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations.

For more information, contact Timothy J. DiNapoli at dinapolit@gao.gov.`