The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel is a senior advisory committee that reports to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Congress. The Panel was established by Congress after the Apollo 204 Command and Service Module spacecraft fire in January 1967.
The Panel's statutory duties, as prescribed in Section 6 of the NASA Authorization Act of 1968, Public Law 90-67, 42 U.S.C. 2477 are as follows:
"The Panel shall review safety studies and operations plans that are referred to it and shall make reports thereon, shall advise the Administrator with respect to the hazards of proposed operations and with respect to the adequacy of proposed or existing safety standards, and shall perform such other duties as the Administrator may request."
The Act is an effective piece of legislation for two important reasons. One, for the first time in NASA's history, an independent safety review body provides timely and continuous oversight of its aerospace programs. Two, NASA is required to keep the House Committee on Science and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation fully informed of its activities.
For further information, please refer to the following documents:
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