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=== NASA & USN ===
After the Columbia space shuttle disaster and the following Senate hearings, where the testimony of Admiral Rickover prompted a collaboration between NASA and USN. Rickover managed the Naval Nuclear Reactor (NR) programme, successfully deploying principles that allowed for safe operation of reactors. This lead to a collaboration known NASA/Navy Benchmarking Exchange, where practices in the NR programme were examined by the NASA to learn how the USN systematically mitigated the risks of running and maintaining high risk technology without accidents.

Among the learnings was that NR had embedded safety processes within the organization, such that a quality or safety office was functionally unnecessary. The organization is relatively flat with easy access to the director, and the organization promotes voicing diverse and differing opinions. Here it was noted that when no differing opinions are present, managers were responsible for critical examination of the issue that actively encouraged such opinions. Recruitment and training of highly qualified professionals is relied upon, to keep them personally accountable and responsible for operational safety. The institution had embedded a closed loop learning process based on technical requirements that feed into the foundation of future design specifications.

These findings led to opportunities for NASA to consider alternative organizational and management approaches for future programmes, as well as approaches for safety critical decision making. Selected USN submarine approaches to safety procedures and fora for free and critical discussion of critical safety issues.

The practices and organization of USN was directly addressing the objective of safe operation, not relegating this as a seperate activity or oversight entity, but embedding risk analysis into the fabric of operations.<ref name="NNBE">['https://www.nasa.gov%2Fpdf%2F45608main_NNBE_Progress_Report2_7-15-03.pdf'] ''NASA/Navy Benchmarking Exchange (NNBE) Vol.II'' (NNBE 2003)</ref>