New NASA Software Laboratory in West Virginia Named in Honor of Former Astronaut Jon A. McBride

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Sep 22, 2011, 05:37 ET

FAIRMONT, W.Va., Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA's Independent Verification and Validation Program (IV&V) will dedicate and name its new software laboratory the Jon McBride Software Testing and Research lab or JSTAR in a ceremony to honor retired astronaut and West Virginia native Capt. Jon A. McBride (USN) on Friday, September 23, 2011.

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The new facility provides an environment for adaptable software testing and simulation and is designed to enhance tools and methods used to critically assess mission and safety critical software across NASA missions. It also supports end-to-end testing and simulation capabilities on flight software to reduce the threat of software-related failure.

The lab is currently working with missions at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., Johnson Space Center, Houston and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Expectations are that the lab will extend its services in the future to all other NASA centers.

Greg Blaney, director of the IV&V Program said, "We are proud to have this opportunity to honor Captain McBride's accomplishments and his service to NASA. Captain McBride exemplifies the best of NASA and the best of West Virginia by dedicating himself to the safety and success of NASA's missions and to the success of an amazing number of education and outreach programs in the state and across the country. I believe as he does that among the software engineers, educators, and students that will take advantage of all the JSTAR lab has to offer, we will find the next astronauts and exploration mission specialists to reach the stars and beyond from West Virginia."

The dedication and naming event will take place from 9:00-10:30 a.m., at 5000 NASA Boulevard, Fairmont, W.Va., with tours of the lab and the NASA facilities to follow.

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

For NASA biographical information on Jon. A. McBride, visit:

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mcbride-ja.html

SOURCE NASA