NASA editing their Technical Reports Server

[tfr000]

Ok, this is slightly creepy.
A few years ago, I did a little project, for fun - modeling the launch of a Saturn V into orbit in MS Excel. I got all of the info I needed for the Saturn V parameters from the Nasa Technical Reports Server. They recently shut it down in order to put "export restrictions", or something, on the information there. Today, I went looking to see if the data that I used was still available. IT IS NOT. Apparently, rocket hardware from the 1960s is now state secrets. I guess I must now be a terrorist, or enemy of the state, or something.

 

[jhae2.718]

It seems like a lot of stuff is being put back under export control. There was a storm about some of the NASA centers violating ITAR/etc. a while back. This is probably part of the reaction.

Another example is MIL-STD-1797B, used for aircraft handling qualities, which was released publicly years ago and was just reclassified as export controlled information. Of course, if you do a Google search for "MIL-STD-1797" the first five results include two PDF copies of the A revision...

Working with export controlled stuff sucks, trust me. Having been responsible for ITAR information, if I never have to deal with it again it will be far too soon.

(Also, you should use MATLAB. ;)

Edit: I am usually lazy and refer to all export controls as ITAR, but in the US it's actually quite complicated. The Department of Commerce controls the Export Administration Regulations, the Department of State controls defense/technology stuff with the International Traffic in Arms Restrictions, and the Treasury Dept. has the Office of Foreign Assets Control. (There are more, but these are the major ones.)

 

[tfr000]

A whole lot of links in Wikipedia are broken now, also. "We're the government, and we're here to help you."

 

[tfr000]

BTW, re: MATLAB, yah I probably should have used a real math app, but at the time I knew Excel inside-out, and I was messing around with numerical calculus stuff, so there you go. My Saturn V integrator was a really simple midpoint-method macro, which, surprisingly, worked great! My third stage reached orbit something like 1% "hot" compared to the real thing, so I would have had to shut the engine down a few seconds earlier... but surprisingly realistic.

 

[alphy]

I understand the importance of access to accurate and reliable data for research and analysis. It is concerning to hear that NASA has made changes to their Technical Reports Server, particularly with the added restrictions on export of information. While I can appreciate the need for security measures, it is important to also consider the impact on scientific progress and collaboration.

I hope that NASA will continue to prioritize transparency and open access to information in their efforts to protect sensitive data. It is crucial for the scientific community to have access to historical data and information in order to build upon past research and advance our understanding of the world around us. I urge NASA to carefully consider the implications of these changes and strive for a balance between security and scientific progress.