Release Manager

• EGD

• "owns" release, initiates process, creates tracking page, sends daily status updates, tracks issues to completion, makes sure everyone gets their stuff done, brings decisions to CCB/team, maintains tracking page, collects lessons learned, documents process improvements for next release.

• Must be reachable during critical stages like creating and testing RCs.

Build Manager

• Windows: PJC

• Mac: Ravi

• Linux: DJC

• Controls build system, creates RCs, sends RC availability announcements.

• Must be reachable during critical stages like creating and testing RCs.

Test Manager

• GUI: Tetyana

• Windows Script: PJC

• Control GUI/script testing for each RC. 

• Must be reachable during critical stages like creating and testing RCs.

EGD

Mitigate

wxWidgets 3.2.9 update being done close to the end of the release development cycle

Mitigating issues as they are found. In the event of a >minor roadblock, a decision will have to be made.

EGD

Mitigate

python 3.13/3.14 update being done close to the end of the release development cycle

Mitigating issues as they are found. In the event of a >minor roadblock, a decision will have to be made.

EGD

Mitigate

GUI test updates for wx 3.2.9 being done close to the end of the release development cycle

Mitigating issues as they are found. In the event of a >minor roadblock, a decision will have to be made.

Obtain Release Authorization

EGD

• 4/1/2026 - SPO approved GMAT for release

• 3/23/2026 - SRS package sent to various reviewers

• 2/25/2026 - SRS Submitted

• 2/24/2026 - NTR Accepted

• 2/17/2026 - NTR Submitted

Update and Submit SW Release Package via SRS (https://softwarerelease.ndc.nasa.gov/)

• Software Release System (SRS) routes package through multiple reviews: 

  • POC Review

  • Initial SRA Review

  • Technology Transfer Office Review

  • Patent Counsel Office Review

  • IT Security Review

  • Export Control Office Review

  • Section 508 Coordinator Office Review

  • Other Review

  • Final SRA Review

Update Sample Scripts

JWN

OFI: RM

OFI

• 3/12/2026: Sample script updates merged into gmat-main dev

============================

Tracked in https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8502

This includes

• Add Instrusion locator Sample Scripts https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8482

• Remove TLE Writer Sample scripts  https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8481

Above work ties in with the Release Notes.  (Review list above again after Release Notes written).  

Needed by Feature Complete Freeze.

• Write examples that demonstrate new functionality

• Clean up all errors and warnings

• Remove deprecated fields

• Make sure all the old and new sample scripts run correctly.  (Note: There is a way to run all scrips in a folder, must be in Run_Mode=Testing)

Notes/Questions:  

1. The OFI scripts are stored in the OFI repo, not in the GMAT repo. That's because OFI is an externally maintained and managed project.When GMAT is built, e.g. the windows build machine, it copies the OFI sample scripts into latestcompleteversion. That's how those scripts will be part of the release without being in the GMAT repo.

   1. UPDATE: OFI sample script updates have been incorporated into the OFI repo

2. The sample script file names be pre-pended with R2022a_

3. Make sure all the API Folder (and associated sub-folder) sample scripts are updated and run correctly.

4. Starting with R2021a:  For Nav, we will be adding python analysis scripts associated with the EKFS GPS point solution tutorial, to the GMAT releases.  Thus, in addition to the usual GMAT sample scripts, we should be making sure that the non-GMAT scripts, such as these python analysis scripts, also still run correctly. 

Write draft Release Notes
Update compatibility section

EGD/All

Needed by Feature Complete Freeze.

• 3/20/2026 - merged into gmat-main dev

• 3/10/2026: Team compiling release note updates in draft in team document repository

See Writing Release Notes

Update version number in User Guide cover

EGD

• 3/11/2026 graphic designer create letter and a4 UG cover pages. Cover pages stored in the Management → Release folder-> Graphics folder for this release

• 3/4/2026: ETD support ticket 84708 submitted to generate the UG cover page

Needed by Feature Complete Freeze; see details below.

Process to submit graphic requests:  open ticket via https://etd-support.ndc.nasa.gov/servicePortal

Next time: integrate sejda-console to do this automatically.

Get updated splash screen

EGD

• 3/11/2026: EGD made splash screens in the even they are needed and the primary ones aren’t available in time

• 3/4/2026: ETD support ticket 84708 submitted to generate the splash screen

Needed by Feature Complete Freeze; see details below.

Process to submit graphic requests:  open ticket via https://etd-support.ndc.nasa.gov/servicePortal

Put in order for additional icons

EGD

3/2/26;  No additional icons needed.  

Needed by Feature Complete Freeze

None needed since not actively updating GUI.  

Update release announcement contacts

EGD

Needed by Release Day. 

• 4/3/2026: Contacts updated in SharePoint spreadsheet

• 4/18/2025: Migrated previous release contact list to internal GMAT-Team doc repo in the /Documents/1.0 Management/1.7 GMAT SW Releases/ location.

(Includes aerospace professors, ESA, chief technologists at NASA centers)

Update libraries to current release

PJC/DJC

Update the various depends libraries and other software that is used by GMAT.

These include but are not limited to: Python, Swig, Boost, wxWidgets, Visual Studio, GCC. 

Dependency update tickets for the release:

• https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8434

• https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8295

• https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8414

• https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8299

Write, run, and commit all final test cases.

All

After test complete, the test repo is frozen.  All tests must be written by this deadline.

4/1/2026: No additional tests are being added for this release

3/7/2025: Dev code freeze occurred at this time

1/28/2025: Nominal dev process has test creation included

Code Freeze wrap-up tasks

EGD

See here: Wrap Up Testing - GMAT Wiki - Confluence (atlassian.net)

Work with Steve S on this.  

Notes from R2020a:

RM: Performed manual GUI Delete & Rename tests on OFI  (Ask Ravi to take a look for R2022a)

Address all JIRA tickets awaiting feedback

(All)

If someone is asking for clarification, provide requested information.

Mark .tc files with requirements and verify traceability to new requirements

SES

Req spec: GMAT Requirements.xlsx

RTTM: On mesa in nightly test results

• Update Requirements Spec

• Update TC files

• Verify RTTM is good

Verified by SES on Mar 25, 2026

Perform Static Analysis

JJR/DJC

Run VS analysis tool (Win) and Valgrind (Linux) to identify possible issues. 
(Note that the requirement here is just to "run" the tool.  Analysis can come later.)

Tool was run and analysis was done by XXX/XXX and reported on XX/XX/XXXX

Review all test failures on each OS (Windows, Linux, Mac)

PJC/EFB/RM

Review all deferred tests to verify that they are OK to defer.  

PJC/SES

Look at the daily test results for all 3 o/s.  Do a final review right before Test Freeze achieved.   

Reviewed and updated on Mar 25, 2026

Review tests that are not being run to verify that they are OK not to run

PJC/SES

R2026a: Timeboxed effort performed with https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-8488 and follow-up https://gmat.atlassian.net/browse/GMT-7825 will be tackled in the next dev release cycle

Create a list of tests not being run nightly. 
(e.g., for R2022a, this may be tests with the R2023a category). 
Verify that it is OK to not run them.  
Do a final review right before Test Freeze achieved.   

Update About panel

DJC

1. Update release number (i.e. R2026a).  

2. Add any new libraries used. (Did we update any libraries for R2026a since R2022a?).  

3. Update any links.

The code is located in src/gui/app

Note that the version number is set in GmatGlobal.cpp. 

Update splash screen

PJC

1. Add new contributors

2. Remove contributors who did not contribute to this release

3. Design updates

4. Update SplashScreen.psd in root directory of the gmat public repo  \moredata\graphics\splash

5. Use GIMP to save a flattened TIF file and overwrite splash screen in GmatDevelopment\application\data\graphics\splash.

6. Make sure there is a BETA splash as well. 

Move to App Freeze. 

Update icons

N/A

12/2/2024: No updates to the icons for the current release.  (Use Default)

Update UG cover image

DJC

Similar to the splash screen

Update OpenFramesInterface's About Panel

RM

OpenFramesInterface's About panel with release number and links to OFI Wiki
(Panel is accessed from the OFI configuration panel; Updated to R2026a)

Complete visual updates

(All)

Move to App Freeze?

Update Info.plist (Mac specific) and RunGMAT (shell script on Mac) as needed

RM

Need copyright and release number/name at least - Info_GMAT.plist and RunGMAT

Update test system RunGmat.m on Mac if needed

Mac: RM

4/1/2026: RM has made additional updates to the RunGMAT.m in the gmat-test repo but they aren’t needed for the release

Update for MATLAB version and Python version as needed. This refers to the files in the SVN test repo, found under bin/+gmatrunner/

This should be before the Freezes-move there for the next release.

Address issues in Static Analysis results

(All)

Results are informational for 2026a to be used to create tickets for work in the next release

Update license text

DJC

Update application/License.txt file.  May be nothing to do if license did not change.

Check the compilation output and fix selected warning messages.

Windows: PC

Linux: DJC

Mac: TBD

Mostly related to the number of Windows warnings, but a check should be done for each OS.

Reviewed and fixed relevant warnings on Windows.

(Linux: None needed for R2026a; some work needed for R2025b)

Mark all open significant bugs as Affects: current release

CCB

(EGD/SES)

• 3/11/2026: Marked all non-Closed/Cancelled R2025a affectedVersion tickets as affects R2026a

in JIRA, mark all open tickets as affects the current release.  This can be done via a global change. 
This is not a huge number of bugs.  

Update version number in Cmakelists

PJC/DJC

Do this right before code freeze.  Change to the current release version.