US Air Cargo Security Could Be Improved, Investigators Say

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have taken a number of actions designed to secure inbound air cargo, but these efforts are still largely in the early stages and could be strengthened, according to a new government report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

GAO is the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress.

"For instance, TSA completed a risk-based strategic plan to address domestic air cargo security, but has not developed a similar strategy for addressing inbound air cargo security, including how best to partner with CBP and international air cargo stakeholders," GAO says. "In addition, while TSA has identified the primary threats to inbound air cargo, it has not yet assessed inbound air cargo vulnerabilities and critical assets. Moreover, TSA’s air cargo security rule incorporated a number of provisions aimed at enhancing the security of inbound air cargo. This final rule also acknowledges that TSA amended its security directives and programs to triple the percentage of cargo inspected on domestic and foreign passenger aircraft."

TSA continues to exempt certain types of inbound air cargo transported on passenger air carriers from inspection, GAO found. Further, TSA inspects domestic and foreign passenger air carriers with service to the United States to assess whether they are complying with air cargo security requirements, but currently does not conduct compliance inspections of all air carriers transporting inbound air cargo, it says. Moreover, TSA has not developed performance goals and measures to determine to what extent air carriers are complying with security requirements.

"In addition, CBP recently began targeting inbound air cargo transported on passenger and all-cargo aircraft that may pose a security risk and inspecting such cargo once it arrives in the United States," GAO says. "TSA and CBP, however, do not have a systematic process in place to share information that could be used to strengthen the department’s efforts in securing inbound air cargo, such as the results of TSA air carrier compliance inspections and foreign airport assessments."

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Companies Mark Achievements In Commercial Space Development

Two companies receiving NASA commercial orbital transportation services funds achieved significant milestones this month in their efforts to develop and demonstrate new space cargo launch and delivery systems, the space agency says.

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) completed a preliminary design review for its first orbital demonstration mission, NASA says. Rocketplane Kistler completed a system requirements review for its cargo services system, it says. The two companies want to offer commercial delivery services for cargo, andpossibly crews, to the International Space Station in the future. In August 2006, NASA and the companies signed agreements that established a series of milestones and criteria for assessing progress toward their individual goals.

The goals of NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program are to stimulate commercial enterprises in space; facilitate U.S. private industry development of reliable, cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit;and create a market environment in which commercial space transportation services are available to government and private customers.

Once industry has demonstrated safe and reliable capabilities, NASA may choose to purchase transportation services from commercial providers to support the International Space Station under a second phase of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project.

"These milestones demonstrate genuine progress toward a new way of doing business for NASA and pave the way for the commercial purchase of transportation services needed to maintain the International Space Station," says Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. "If these companies can continue this rapid pace, the first demonstration launches are right around the corner."

On Feb. 8 SpaceX, of El Segundo, Calif., received NASA approval of a preliminary design review for the first orbital demonstration of its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon reusable spacecraft. That flight, planned for September 2008, will be the first of three outlined in NASA's agreement with SpaceX. The company completed a project management review for the mission in September 2006 and a system requirements review in November 2006. SpaceX delivered its preliminary design review data to NASA Jan. 22. The critical design review is set for this summer.

On Feb. 6, Rocketplane Kistler of Oklahoma City established the requirements for interfaces between its two-stage K-1 reusable cargo transportation system and the International Space Station. The requirements review was the third of numerous milestones NASA will use to measure thecompany's progress toward a full demonstration of its launch capability. Both the first and second stages completed critical design reviews before Rocketplane Kistler joined the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Project. Those vehicle components are being transported to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to begin the assembly phase.

Rocketplane Kistler achieved its first two program milestones,completion of a program implementation plan and an initial round of privatefinancing, in September and November 2006, respectively. Preliminary andcritical design reviews of a new cargo module are planned later this year.

SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler both won a 2006 competition to share upto $485 million in NASA funding to help finance their activities. Earlier in February, NASA signed unfunded agreements to work with two other companies with similar goals -- Transformational Space Corp. (t/Space) ofReston, Va., and PlanetSpace Inc. of Chicago.

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