PHOTOS: Capito Visits NASA IV&V Facility with NASA Administrator

FAIRMONT, W.Va. - Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, visited the Katherine Johnson Independent and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont, W.Va. with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

"West Virginia has played a critical role in America's leadership in space, and seeing the incredible work being done at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility today only reinforces that legacy," Senator Capito said. "The men and women here will play a critical role in accelerating America's return to the moon. I was glad to visit with Administrator Isaacman who conveyed the agency's strong commitment to the workforce and capabilities here in West Virginia. And it was a fitting day to visit on the 100^th anniversary of Robert Goddard's first rocket fueled rocket launch. That legacy lives on at Katherine Johnson IV&V."

"Thank you to Senator Capito for joining the team at the IV&V Facility today," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "The work happening here in West Virginia strengthens NASA's entire mission, helping ensure the software behind our spacecraft and programs performs safely and reliably across the agency."

Photos from today's tour are included below:

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joins NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman for a tour of the Katherine Johnson Independent and Validation (IV&V) facility in Fairmont, W.Va. on Monday, March 16, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) joins NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman for a tour of the Katherine Johnson Independent and Validation (IV&V) facility in Fairmont, W.Va. on Monday, March 16, 2026.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) greets NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman for a tour of the Katherine Johnson Independent and Validation (IV&V) facility in Fairmont, W.Va. on Monday, March 16, 2026.

BACKGROUND:

In 2019, Senator Capito led the successful effort to rename NASA's Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont after West Virginia native and pioneering mathematician Katherine Johnson, ensuring her historic contributions to the nation's space program would be permanently recognized. She also introduced a Senate resolution honoring Johnson's remarkable life and legacy. Continuing her work to elevate Johnson's impact, Senator Capito led the congressional effort in September 2024 to award Johnson and her colleagues the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation's highest civilian honors, recognizing the "Hidden Figures" whose brilliance and perseverance helped propel the United States into the space age.

Based in Fairmont, the IV&V Program supports NASA missions by providing systems engineering and independent software assurance, helping improve reliability, identify defects earlier, reduce development costs, and mitigate risks in safety- and mission-critical software. This work also contributes to the advancement of the NASA Artemis Program, the initiative to return humans to the Moon and eventually travel to Mars. Alongside the IV&V Program, West Virginia's aerospace manufacturers, companies, and research universities support Artemis through engineering, testing, and workforce development. Together, these efforts demonstrate how the state's technical expertise is helping power the next era of American lunar exploration.

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