Office of Inspector General

BEHIND THE ACCOUNT

What NASA’s watchdog does

NASA OIG provides independent oversight so that large, technically complex space programs can be examined for performance, risk, and misuse of public funds. Its work covers NASA programs, projects, operations, and contractor activity.

• Audits and reviews examine costs, schedules, controls, and whether NASA programs are being managed effectively.
• Investigations look into allegations of fraud, abuse, and other misconduct involving NASA resources, employees, grantees, and contractors.
• The office reports independently to the NASA Administrator, Congress, and the public.

What the office reported in FY2025

NASA OIG reported 15 audits and 54 recommendations during FY2025. Its investigations produced nearly $7.3 million in recoveries and other monetary impact, including $1.4 million returned directly to NASA. These results describe oversight activity; they are not a dollar-for-dollar offset to this account’s outlays.

How FY2025 funding was approved

NASA’s FY2025 Office of Inspector General appropriation continued at $47.6 million under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 1968, Public Law 119-4). NASA’s budget supplement identifies that law as the source of the FY2025 funding level. The OMB database reports $48 million in FY2025 net outlays for this account. Appropriations provide legal budget authority; outlays record payments made, so the two figures are related but are not the same measure.

$47.6 million in FY2025 appropriations · $48 million in FY2025 reported outlays

These were votes on the full-year continuing appropriations measure for the federal government, not separate votes on NASA OIG’s line item. The roll-call links show each member’s recorded vote. They should not be read as a standalone vote on the Inspector General’s budget.