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NASA Clears Boeing Starliner Spacecraft for 2nd Uncrewed Flight Test
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NASA Clears Boeing Starliner Spacecraft for 2nd Uncrewed Flight Test

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft has passed the launch readiness review phase, clearing the way for the company to launch its second uncrewed flight to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Starliner is scheduled to liftoff on Friday at 2:53 p.m. Eastern time at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket, the agency said Tuesday.

NASA expects the Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission to provide data the agency will use to evaluate the capability of the crew module to ferry astronauts to space.

The spacecraft will carry an anthropometric test device, nicknamed Rosie the Rocketeer, to study what astronauts would experience during flight and over 400 pounds of cargo and supplies to the orbiting laboratory.

During OFT-2, Starliner will test various spacecraft capabilities such as a vision-based navigation system, an automated retreat feature and avionics, electrical power and propulsion technologies.

Five to 10 days after docking with the ISS, Starliner will aim to bring over 550 pounds of cargo back to Earth and land in the western U.S. NASA said that a manned flight test could take place at the end of 2021 should Starliner complete the objectives of the upcoming mission.

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Air Force Tests Vidisco-Built Digital Imaging Platform for Explosive Ordnance Disposal
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Air Force Tests Vidisco-Built Digital Imaging Platform for Explosive Ordnance Disposal

The U.S. Air Force's explosive ordnance disposal technicians have tested a portable imaging system Vidisco developed to help military users view X-ray images of homemade and unexploded bombs.

The 22-pound Guardian 12 Digital Radiographic device has a compact case that can be carried for flyaway operations and is designed to function even in extreme temperatures, the Air Force said Tuesday.

USAF expects to receive 331 Guardian 12 systems from Vidisco's U.S. subsidiary through 2026 under a $30 million contract and plans to distribute the systems together with training events over a five-year period.

The branch procured the DR technology to replace three interim commercial off-the-shelf products that support its EOD missions and noted that AFCEC collaborated with the AF Installation Contracting Center’s 772nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron in the procurement effort.

Guardian 12 X-rays are intended to work via both wired and wireless connections.

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VA Begins Efforts to Create Pool of Candidates for Undersecretary for Health Position
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VA Begins Efforts to Create Pool of Candidates for Undersecretary for Health Position

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun its search for candidates as part of efforts to fill the role of undersecretary of health. VA said Tuesday that it is looking for a health care leader to oversee the Veterans Health Administration as it moves to modernize the department’s health care delivery initiatives.

The undersecretary for health should have experience with VHA programs and ability in health care administration, financial management and policy formulation.

VA is establishing a pool of candidates for consideration by the U.S. president. The presidential appointee would have to be confirmed by the Senate, according to a posting on USAJOBS. 

Candidates should have knowledge of VHA’s four statutory missions: developing, maintaining and operating a national health care delivery system for eligible veterans; administering an education and training program for health care personnel; leading a health care research and development program focused on improving the well-being of veterans and providing contingency support for the country’s health care in times of national emergency.

The department is looking for candidates with experience overseeing the operations of a large health care enterprise. Candidates should also implement the VA secretary’s vision to transform the department and serve as an accountable steward of VHA’s financial and human capital resources, according to the job posting.

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Lt. Gen. John Thompson to Retire as Space & Missile Systems Center Commander; Gen. John Raymond Quoted
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Lt. Gen. John Thompson to Retire as Space & Missile Systems Center Commander; Gen. John Raymond Quoted

Lt. Gen. John Thompson, the longest-serving three-star commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), is set to retire on Aug. 1st, culminating his 36 years of service at the U.S. Air Force.

Senior leaders from the Department of Defense joined SMC and 61st Air Base Group members in a ceremony to celebrate Thompson’s career, which included leadership roles across acquisition, strategic systems and life cycle management programs, USAF said Tuesday.

During his command, Thompson managed a $9 billion annual budget, 85 percent of which was allocated for space funds, and ushered over 6,300 military, government and contract employees.

“If you look at what has happened since JT took command, he has completely reorganized SMC, has been instrumental in establishing the U.S. Space Force, and now, he has planned the establishment of the Space Systems Command,” said Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, chief of space operations at USSF and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient.

Thompson, in the past year, focused on the preliminary works for the newest field command of the Space Force to facilitate the development and acquisition of space warfighting systems.

“Heading into this next chapter in space history, I look forward to the establishment and activation of the Space Systems Command and how that takes this organization, our processes and our people even further,” Thompson said.

Lt. Gen. John Thompson to Retire as Space & Missile Systems Center Commander; Gen. John Raymond Quoted

GovCon Wire, sister site of ExecutiveGov, will host a virtual forum on the military’s space technology acquisition goals and programs. Visit the GovCon Wire Events page to sign up for the Space Acquisition Forum.

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GAO: TSA Launches Efforts to Address Weaknesses Related to Pipeline Cybersecurity
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GAO: TSA Launches Efforts to Address Weaknesses Related to Pipeline Cybersecurity

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made 15 recommendations for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to deal with weaknesses concerning its oversight of U.S. pipeline systems and found that TSA has addressed most of them, such as enhancing monitoring of security review performance, clarifying parts of its Pipeline Security Guidelines and evaluating staffing needs.

TSA has yet to fully address two previously identified weaknesses associated with pipeline cybersecurity as of June 2021 and those are incomplete information for pipeline risk assessments and failure to update protocols for responding to pipeline security incidents, GAO said in a report published Tuesday.

The congressional watchdog said TSA issued this July a cybersecurity directive requiring pipeline operators and owners to carry out cyber architecture design review annually, come up with a cybersecurity contingency response plan and implement cyber mitigation measures, among others.

“TSA officials told GAO that a timely update to address current cyber threats is appropriate and that they anticipate updating the Guidelines over the next year,” the report reads.

Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.

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House Subcommittee Schedules FY 2022 NDAA Markup
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House Subcommittee Schedules FY 2022 NDAA Markup

The House Armed Services’ cyber, innovative technologies and information systems subcommittee is set to meet Wednesday for the markup of the proposed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022.

The subpanel's proposed NDAA would direct the secretary of the Department of Defense (DOD) to launch a five-year pilot program to help advance the transition of DOD's science and technology initiatives into full-scale implementation and to work with the secretaries of service branches to perform pilot initiatives to move Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs into Phase III, the House Armed Services Committee said Tuesday.

The bill would require DOD’s deputy secretary to submit a report identifying the barriers that prevent the Pentagon from scaling technologies and direct the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering to report on current investment efforts in gaming and modeling and simulation. 

DOD should come up with report on the state of digital twin practices within the Pentagon.

The measure also includes provisions aimed at strengthening DOD’s digital engineering and testing, improving the department’s oversight of cyberspace activities and access to tech talent, ensuring electromagnetic spectrum advantage and enhancing the department’s capability to compete in the information environment.

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DHS S&T Releases Third Wave of Public Safety Tech Showcase; Kathryn Coulter-Mitchell Quoted
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DHS S&T Releases Third Wave of Public Safety Tech Showcase; Kathryn Coulter-Mitchell Quoted

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (DHS S&T) Directorate has commenced the third wave of a showcase featuring various public safety technologies. 

DHS said Monday its Virtual Whole-of-Government R&D Showcase exhibits efforts to address disasters and discover new applications through research and development.

“The government research community and our industry partners are constantly assessing the threat landscape, as well as advancements in science and technologies that can help us stay ahead of whatever is next on the horizon," said Kathryn Coulter-Mitchell, who serves as DHS' undersecretary for science and technology on an acting basis.

The third wave, titled “Mitigating Evolving Threats and Understanding the Convergence of Breakthrough Technologies,” features projects about interoperable first responder communications, digital identity security, air domain awareness and analytics for infrastructure protection.

The showcase will consist of four installments in total.

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Air Force Team Launches AI Assistant for Aircrew Chief Fundamentals Course; Maj. Jesse Johnson Quoted
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Air Force Team Launches AI Assistant for Aircrew Chief Fundamentals Course; Maj. Jesse Johnson Quoted

A U.S. Air Force technology team has introduced new artificial intelligence assistants to help train airmen during their virtual reality-enabled fundamentals training course.

Trainees under the Crew Chief Fundamentals Course can ask questions to and receive instructions from a so-called AI Airman about various basic topics, the Air Force said Monday.

Aside from interacting with real airmen, the AI system could continuously measure the trainees' competencies and monitor their performance throughout their Air Force careers beyond the course.

The change by the Tech Training Transformation team is part of an Air Force effort to take the focus of instructions to students away from instructors.

"We’re no longer making you fit our content, we’re changing our content to match your needs," said T3 Commander Maj. Jesse Johnson. "Not only does this program give more resources to students, it also keeps up with a new generation of learners who perform best outside of a traditional classroom."

The Air Force is planning to launch the Crew Chief Fundamentals Course at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas in 2022. The service also looks at adapting the AI system for use in personalized training through smartphones.

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New NASA Drill to Look for Water Traces in Moon’s South Pole; Janine Captain Quoted
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New NASA Drill to Look for Water Traces in Moon’s South Pole; Janine Captain Quoted

NASA is sending a new rotary percussive drill to the Moon as part of the Artemis program to measure amounts of water and other resources on the lunar surface.

The Honeybee Robotics-developed Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain will repeatedly dig about three feet into the soil in the lunar south pole without needing an astronaut operator, NASA said Monday.

Attached to the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 lander, TRIDENT will extract multiple samples for examination by the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations for possible traces of water.

"These measurements will help us start to understand the distribution of resources on the lunar surface, a key to enabling a long-term presence on the Moon," explained Janine Captain, principal investigator for MSolo.

TRIDENT will be delivered to the Moon by private companies through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract. It will reach the Moon more than five decades after NASA first drilled into the lunar surface using the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill in 1971.

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DOE Invests $60M for Assessments Helping Manufacturers Become Energy-Efficient; Secretary Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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DOE Invests $60M for Assessments Helping Manufacturers Become Energy-Efficient; Secretary Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Department of Energy has invested $60 million into a group of universities to conduct industrial assessments that would help small and medium-sized businesses transition to energy-efficient manufacturing processes. 

The cohort of university-based Industrial Assessment Centers will work on reducing carbon emissions, lowering energy costs and training energy-efficient workers of various manufacturers, DOE said Monday.

Selected IACs will also train students and professionals from various backgrounds to assess the energy rating of small to medium-sized buildings in disadvantaged communities and other areas in the U.S.

"America’s best and brightest university students are successfully helping local manufacturers reduce pollution, save energy, and cut their electricity bills," said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Among the funded academic institutions are West Virginia University, Michigan State University, the University of Connecticut, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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