Jon McBride Software Testing and Research

Who We Are

Jon McBride Software Testing and Research (JSTAR) is a specialized team of software engineers within NASA’s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Program. Our primary mission is to double-check and ensure that the software running on NASA’s spacecraft works perfectly before it ever leaves the ground. 

What We Do

JSTAR’s main role is to create highly accurate virtual computer simulations of spacecraft. By running a spacecraft’s software through these virtual environments, we can safely test, verify, and validate that the code will perform exactly as expected in space. In addition to testing, the JSTAR team is always researching new ways to improve testing methods and manages the cutting-edge JSTAR laboratory network. 

Award-Winning Innovation

Many of our contributions have earned top recognition within the NASA community. The JSTAR team has twice won Honorable Mention at the NASA Software of the Year competition. 

This annual, agency-wide competition is highly prestigious. Software teams from every NASA center submit their best work to be judged on innovation, impact, and usability by a special panel of experts at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

JSTAR JIST Team Award 2016