National Aeronautics and Space Administration
In its review of NASA’s Compliance with the Payment Integrity Information Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (IG-25-005), the NASA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) concluded that NASA complied with the Payment Integrity Information Act (PIIA). NASA remains committed to preventing and reducing improper payments through its Payment Integrity Information Program (PIIP) and annually conducts a Payment Integrity Risk Assessment and updates its risk assessment methodology. Updates to the risk assessment methodology are made as appropriate regarding changes to improper payment legislation and guidance, changes to NASA’s operating environment, recommendations from external auditors, and other circumstances. NASA performed its FY 2025 Payment Integrity Risk Assessment using methodology which incorporates seven risk conditions which are cross-walked to the eleven OMB-designated risk factors.
M-21-19 indicates that all programs with annual outlays over $10,000,000 fall into one of two possible classifications: Phase 1 or Phase 2. Programs that are not likely to have annual improper payments and annual unknown payments above the statutory threshold are in Phase 1. Programs likely to annually make IPs plus UPs above the statutory threshold are Phase 2 programs. NASA currently has no Phase 2 programs.
For the FY 2025 assessment, NASA extracted the population of FY 2024 disbursements ($27.87 billion) from its financial management system to develop a list of programs with outlays greater than $10 million. That list of programs was further narrowed, per NASA’s three-year assessment cycle scope, to include only new programs which had outlays greater than $10 million or programs which had crossed the $10 million threshold for the first time. Additionally, NASA considered whether programs had significant changes and would therefore require an off-cycle assessment. Accordingly, NASA conducted risk assessments for two programs in FY 2025. Neither of the programs were found to be susceptible to significant improper payments.
NASA maintains payment integrity through strong internal controls including both preventative controls (e.g., payment approval processes) and detective controls (e.g., the continuous monitoring program).
Agency level Payment Integrity results
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration improper payment estimates over time
View as:
Chart toggle amounts:Proper paymentsOverpaymentUnderpaymentTechnically improperUnknown
Recovery information
Please note: Overpayment amounts recovered are reported in the year they were recovered, not the year they were identified. Therefore it is possible in some years to have a recovery rate greater than 100%.
| Overpayment amount identified through recovery activities | $15.56 M |
| Overpayment amount recovered through recovery activities | $11.64 M |
| Recovery activities recovery rate | 74.81 % |
Why recovery audits are not cost effective in certain programs
As permitted by OMB Circular A-123, Appendix C, NASA has determined to exclude recovery audits from its Payment Integrity Information Program. NASA performed an analysis (reviewed by NASA OIG) which indicated it was not cost-effective to continue conducting payment recapture audits for identifying and recovering improper payments. NASA continues to conduct an internal recapture review to monitor and assess its payment platform and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to prevent, detect, and collect improper payments.
Supplemental Information
NASA enrolled in the Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay (DNP) program on September 27, 2014. NASA’s Payment Automation file is submitted to and matched against the Social Security Administration (SSA) Death Master File through the Treasury’s DNP system. From October 2024 to September 2025, Treasury, on behalf of NASA, processed a total of 116, 385 payments, amounting to $17,812,885,705.84. NASA’s review, in conjunction with DNP matching, resulted in no findings of improper payments for FY 2025.
The Working System has reduced/prevented improper payments:
NASA has not identitied incorrect information in the Working System.
NASA was found compliant during the most recent PIIA compliance review.
Show full list of compliant programs 
Compliant programs:
- Advanced Air Vehicles Program
- Advanced Exploration Systems
- Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities
- Agency Technical Authority
- Airspace Operations and Safety Program
- Applied Sciences
- Astrophysics Explorer
- Astrophysics Research
- Biological and Physical Sciences
- Commercial Crew Program
- Commercial LEO Development
- Communication Services Program
- Cosmic Origins
- Crew and Cargo Program
- Discovery
- Early Stage Innovation and Partnerships
- Earth Science Data Systems
- Earth Science Research
- Earth Science Technology
- Earth System Science Pathfinder
- Earth Systematic Missions
- Enhanced Use Lease Program
- Environmental Compliance and Restoration
- Exoplanet Exploration
- Exploration CoF
- Exploration Ground Systems
- Future Systems
- Gateway
- Heliophysics Explorer Program
- Heliophysics Research
- Heliophysics Technology
- Human Landing System
- Human Research Program
- Human Space Flight Operations
- Information Technology (IT)
- Infrastructure & Technical Capabilities
- Inspector General
- Institutional CoF
- Institutions and Management
- Integrated Aviation Systems Program
- International Space Station
- Launch Services
- Living with a Star
- Lunar Discovery and Exploration
- Mars Exploration
- Mars Sample Return
- Mission Enabling Services
- Moon and Mars Architecture
- National Historic Preservation
- New Frontiers
- Orion Program
- Outer Planets and Ocean Worlds
- Physics of the Cosmos
- Planetary Defense
- Planetary Science Research
- RMB-ARMD Programmatic Reimbursables
- RMB-ESMD Programmatic Program
- RMB-SCMD Programmatic Program
- RMB-SOMD Programmatic Program
- RMB-SSMS Institution
- Radioisotope Power
- Responsive Science Initiative (RSI)
- Rocket Propulsion Test
- SBIR and STTR
- STEM Engagement
- Safety Engineering, Safety, & Operations
- Science CoF
- Solar Terrestrial Probes
- Space Communications and Navigation
- Space Launch System
- Space Operations CoF
- Space Weather
- Technology Demonstration
- Technology Maturation
- Transformative Aero Concepts Program
- xEVA and Human Surface Mobility Program
| Program name | When was the last improper payment risk assessment conducted? | Likely to be susceptible to significant improper payments? | Substantial changes made to the assessment methodology used for the reporting cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Air Vehicles Program | 2023 |
 No
|
|
| Advanced Exploration Systems | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Agency Technical Authority | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Airspace Operations and Safety Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Applied Sciences | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Astrophysics Explorer | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Astrophysics Research | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Commercial Crew Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Commercial LEO Development | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Communication Services Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Cosmic Origins | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Crew and Cargo Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Discovery | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Early Stage Innovation and Partnerships | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Earth Science Data Systems | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Earth Science Research | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Earth Science Technology | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Earth System Science Pathfinder | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Earth Systematic Missions | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Enhanced Use Lease Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Environmental Compliance and Restoration | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Exoplanet Exploration | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Exploration CoF | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Exploration Ground Systems | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Future Systems | * | ||
| Gateway | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Heliophysics Explorer Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Heliophysics Research | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Heliophysics Technology | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Human Landing System | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Human Research Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Human Space Flight Operations | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Information Technology (IT) | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Infrastructure & Technical Capabilities | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Inspector General | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Institutional CoF | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Institutions and Management | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Integrated Aviation Systems Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| International Space Station | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Launch Services | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Living with a Star | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Lunar Discovery and Exploration | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Mars Exploration | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Mars Sample Return | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Mission Enabling Services | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Moon and Mars Architecture | 2023 |
No
|
|
| National Historic Preservation | 2023 |
No
|
|
| New Frontiers | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Orion Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Outer Planets and Ocean Worlds | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Physics of the Cosmos | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Planetary Defense | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Planetary Science Research | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Radioisotope Power | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Responsive Science Initiative (RSI) | 2025 |
No
|
|
| RMB-ARMD Programmatic Reimbursables | 2023 |
No
|
|
| RMB-ESMD Programmatic Program | * | ||
| RMB-SCMD Programmatic Program | * | ||
| RMB-SOMD Programmatic Program | * | ||
| RMB-SSMS Institution | * | ||
| Rocket Propulsion Test | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Safety Engineering, Safety, & Operations | 2023 |
No
|
|
| SBIR and STTR | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Science CoF | 2025 |
No
|
|
| Solar Terrestrial Probes | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Space Communications and Navigation | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Space Launch System | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Space Operations CoF | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Space Weather | 2023 |
No
|
|
| STEM Engagement | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Technology Demonstration | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Technology Maturation | 2023 |
No
|
|
| Transformative Aero Concepts Program | 2023 |
No
|
|
| xEVA and Human Surface Mobility Program | 2024 |
No
|
* Assessment year is not displayed because one or more of the following statements is true:
- Not required to conduct a risk assessment under the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019,
- Already assessed for improper payment risk under a different name in a prior reporting period, and/or
- New and planning to perform a risk assessment in the future.