2w ago

Is NASA an open source of knowledge for the public?

The comments on the linked Youtube video suggest so, but I remember ChatGPT telling me that NASA doesn't share their optimized Fortran compiler.

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Works, reports, and software that NASA produces itself are "works of the United States", so they are in the public domain by law.
However, not everything NASA does is a published work, such as the classified GPS encryption modules on the shuttle or private medical conferences with ISS crewmembers. Additionally, a lot of stuff is actually done by contractors, such as SpaceX or Boeing, and those may or may not be required by contract to release various amounts of data to the public.
I did a quick Google search, and I was unable to find anything contemporary where NASA is maintaining or developing an in house Fortran compiler.
- I'm a member of dbzer0 -__-, don't be so hostile, this is the QA community
- this is a nice answer, I tried rn asking phind ai assistant, and it clarified the misconception (attached image)
  So they can't share whatever they made anyway I guess.
  So anything that NASA produces alone with public money is for the public by default ?
  
  So anything that NASA produces alone with public money is for the public by default ?
  Anything that NASA civil servants produce and publish is in the public domain by default. NASA can spend public money on contracts that don't result in public domain information.
  In this case, if NASA spends public money to buy (license) a commercially available compiler from PGI, that compiler doesn't magically become open source just because NASA is a paying customer.
  
  Got it, I can see why people in U.S argue for NASA to receive more funding considering how much they achieve with pretty little. Although I don't see it viable for humanity to live in another planet as NASA or SpaceX fans tend to say, not even in another 10 thousand years.

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