NASA has concluded ground segment testing activities for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to demonstrate its capacity to respond to commands from space.

The agency said Monday it relayed maneuvering and operational commands from the Mission Operations Center at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md., as well as data from Northrop Grumman’s Deep Space Network emulator in Redondo Beach, Calif., during the assessment.

The ground systems test is meant to help NASA validate JWST’s components before sending the observatory to space where it will handle complex communication commands and data downlinks.

Amanda Arvai, deputy division head of mission operations at STScI, said the recently completed test serves as the first time the team tested both JWST’s flight hardware and ground system.

“This was also the first time we’ve demonstrated the complete cycle for conducting observations with the observatory’s science instruments,” she noted.

The recent milestone comes a month after NASA completed initial full-systems assessments for JWST and announced plans to launch the telescope within the March to October 2021 window.

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) plans to establish a wargaming center for simulated training exercises in Quantico, Va., over the next four years.

USMC said Tuesday that the agency is working with industry on the proposed Marine Corps Wargaming and Analysis Center that will be located within Marine Corps Base Quantico and house over 12 wargames annually.

The 100K-square foot facility will contain gaming classrooms, meeting rooms and other spaces to support wargaming operations such as remote virtual activities that simulate real-life scenarios on the battlefield.

Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, deputy commandant for combat development and integration at USMC, said establishing the wargaming center at Quantico will enable Marines to access nearby facilities such as the Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) and USMC Warfighting Laboratory.

Sharleene Prieur, deputy program manager for the wargaming capability at MCSC, said the center will also help USMC coordinate wargame activities with the Department of Defense (DoD) as well as joint, intergovernmental, interagency and multinational partners.

The Marine Corps expects to break ground in fiscal year 2021and complete the facility’s construction in the fourth quarter of FY 2023.

Masten Space Systems has chosen SpaceX to launch Masten Mission One (MM1), which will deliver nine NASA science and technology demonstration experiments and several commercial payloads to the lunar south pole, Masten Space Systems reported on Wednesday. 

“Having SpaceX’s proven launch success behind us is not only great for us, but it’s great for our customers,” said Masten chief executive officer, Sean Mahoney. “We share a common vision with SpaceX and that makes this more than a partnership. It’s more like a dream team.”

MM1 was developed under collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Project Office. The Masten XL-1 lunar lander is scheduled to touch down on the lunar south pole in 2022, carrying a suite of NASA-sponsored scientific instruments and various payloads from commercial space customers.

“We are thrilled to be launching Masten’s Mission One to the Moon in 2022,” said Stephanie Bednarek, senior director of commercial sales or SpaceX. “SpaceX was founded upon the goal of extending humanity’s reach beyond Earth, and it’s exciting to take part in a mission with many partners who share the same vision.”

NASA selected Masten Space Systems to deliver the administration’s payloads in April 2020. The $75.9 million contract was awarded to Masten under the terms of NASA’s (CLPS). The agency’s initiative has provided opportunities for NASA to order lunar delivery services from commercial providers. In 2018, Masten was one of the first delivery providers that NASA put on its CLPS list.

About NASA’s CLPS Program

NASA is working with several American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These companies of varying sizes will bid on delivering payloads for NASA, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. Under the Artemis program, early commercial delivery missions will perform science experiments, test technologies and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon and prepare for human missions.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has wrapped up the first mid-band spectrum auction for 5G networks and raised approximately $4.6 billion in gross bids.

Auction 105 freed up 70 megahertz of spectrum in the 3,550-3,650 MHz band and enabled bidders to secure more than 91.1 percent of available 22,631 priority access licenses, FCC said Tuesday.

“This auction has been a key part of our 5G FAST Plan and our ongoing push to make more mid-band spectrum available for 5G,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “And I look forward to the Commission making available 280 more megahertz of mid-band spectrum for 5G in the C-band auction beginning on December 8.”

FCC kicked off Auction 105 in July 2020.

Join Potomac Officers Club for its 5G Summit on Oct. 27, 2020 to learn about the impact that innovative technologies and 5G integration have on the private and public sectors, the steps the federal agencies have taken to remain up to speed with the rapid advancement of technology, and the future programs, plans and priorities as the nation aligns with emerging technology.

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