Topics / Standards and assurance
NASA-STD-8739.8B: software assurance and software safety
NASA-STD-8739.8B is NASA’s Software Assurance and Software Safety Standard. It sets requirements for software assurance, software safety, and independent verification and validation (IV&V) across the software lifecycle. Which requirements apply depends on the project’s governing basis.
Which edition and which responsibilities?
The NASA standards record lists revision B, dated 8 September 2022, as active when checked on 9 October 2026. Use that record to obtain the standard and check its status.
NPR 7150.2D supplies software engineering requirements. NASA-STD-8739.8B supplies assurance and software safety requirements, including IV&V. Do not collapse engineering, assurance and independent assessment into a single test report.
Start with an applicability and evidence record
- Establish the basis. Record the governing project documents, software classification, safety relevance and responsible authorities.
- Identify applicable obligations. Preserve their source, rationale and any authorized tailoring.
- Assign evidence and review. Name the artifacts, producing activities and responsible roles for each obligation.
- Maintain the basis through changes. Identify which evidence remains applicable and which must be renewed.
A traceability matrix can expose missing links. It does not by itself demonstrate that every applicable assurance activity was performed.
Distinguish assurance, safety and IV&V.
NASA lists NASA-STD-8739.8B, dated September 2022, as active. Its scope addresses software assurance, software safety, and independent verification and validation for software created, acquired or maintained by or for NASA.
Source: NASA: Software Assurance and Software Safety Standard. Scope and edition reviewed 9 October 2026.
Determine the applicable requirements and responsibilities within the project. Running a second tool or agent does not by itself establish the independence required by an assurance plan.
Make an assurance observation actionable.
Illustrative example
The implementation changed after the report.
A report supports an earlier build. A later configuration change affects an assumption used by the verification. The useful assurance record identifies that changed basis, the conclusions requiring review and the person responsible for resolving the gap. It preserves the older result as history.
- Link the observation to an applicable requirement or risk.
- Identify the software and evidence revisions.
- Record corrective work and the evidence of its outcome.
- Retain unresolved findings and accountable dispositions.
Test whether a shared record removes work.
Proof connects requirements, hazards, changes and verification evidence. A bounded deployment can test whether engineering and assurance reviewers can use the same underlying record without repeatedly assembling a separate dossier.
That contribution does not replace the standard’s full activities or responsibilities. Start with one change and ask the assurance team to identify what the record supports and what remains outside it.
Try it on your software
Bring an assurance finding that is difficult to trace to closure.
We can connect the observation, corrective change and verification in one inspectable record.