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CISA Says Software TEVV Can Be Used for AI System Evaluation
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CISA Says Software TEVV Can Be Used for AI System Evaluation

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has stated that artificial intelligence red teaming must fit into the existing framework for AI testing, evaluation, validation and verification, or TEVV, and that AI TEVV must be treated under the software TEVV framework from an operational and strategic perspective.

In a blog post published Tuesday, Jonathan Spring, deputy chief AI officer and Divjot Singh Bawa, strategic adviser at the agency, wrote that AI red teaming is a subset of AI TEVV and that the software TEVV framework can be used to assess AI systems.

The two CISA executives explained the three misconceptions about software systems: safety concerns associated with AI testing, the need for validity and reliability testing and the probabilistic nature of such technologies.

CISA’s Role in AI Testing, Evaluation, Validation & Verification

According to Spring and Bawa, CISA has been contributing to AI red teaming efforts that back security assessments for federal and non-federal organizations.

The blog post stated that CISA ensures that its work on AI pre-deployment testing supplements government, industry and academic efforts.

The agency provides risk management and technical assistance to federal and non-federal partners, including offering support to AI security technical post-deployment testing.

CISA also works with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop AI security testing standards.

“By treating AI TEVV as a subset of traditional software TEVV, the AI evaluations community benefits from using and building upon decades of proven and tested approaches towards assuring software is fit for purpose,” Spring and Bawa wrote.

“Most notably, with the knowledge that software and AI TEVV must be treated similarly to software TEVV from a strategic and operational perspective, the digital ecosystem can instead channel effort at the tactical level, developing novel tools, applications, and benchmarks to robustly execute AI TEVV,” they added.

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DLA Hackathon Yields 3 Contractors for AI-Based Logistics
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DLA Hackathon Yields 3 Contractors for AI-Based Logistics

The Arlington, Virginia unit of Accenture along with National Harbor, Maryland-based company Knexus and Scale AI of San Francisco, California, have emerged as the winners in the Defense Logistics Agency’s inaugural artificial intelligence hackathon. The three companies will receive contracts worth a total of $3.5 million for developing AI reporting tools in demand planning, a chatbot app and virtual acquisition agents, DLA said Tuesday.

The agency invited vendors in March to demonstrate in the hackathon their capabilities to provide innovative AI and machine learning solutions to DLA operations.

Selection Criteria

The competition drew 46 entries that a DLA research and development team screened based on a set of standards that included technical merit, feasibility and AI performance. Through the criteria, six vendors were selected for proposal presentations in an in-person DLA event in June attended by some 50 representatives from the agency, the Department of Defense, military services and academia. 

The three winners were selected after another review of their submitted white papers, technical and cost offers, and in-person presentations. 

Repeatable Solutions

Adarryl Roberts, DLA chief information officer, said the hackathon is the agency’s first endeavor at expanding AI use through repeatable procurement solutions.

“DLA’s goal to become a digital organization is a journey that starts with standardizing how the agency uses emerging technologies to answer DLA’s critical logistics challenges,” he added.

The agency is expected to hold its next hackathon in 2025.

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PNNL Integrates Automated Software Testing in Modernization Move
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PNNL Integrates Automated Software Testing in Modernization Move

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or PNNL, is integrating automated software testing in the early phases of its digital transformation effort to immediately determine potential issues that may arise from new applications and the changes being made to existing systems, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

Paul Reichlin, director of digital platforms at PNNL, said automated software testing has a foundational role in the modernization initiative, which involves creating new digital platforms from scratch and reimagining disparate business applications.

“We’ve definitely taken the common approach of moving a lot of testing left in the process, so the more we can move it into the development process, the build processes, so we get that faster feedback,” Reichlin explained. “When you’re starting new, you can do a lot with the code in terms of making it more modular and testable … You have those tests to let you know if you broke something.”

According to the PNNL digital director, one goal of the transformation effort is to ensure the systems are designed in a way that meets the requirements of the end users. With automated software testing, users can provide feedback on the applications earlier in the development and build processes and use their input to improve how systems work, he added.

What Does PNNL Do?

PNNL, a Department of Energy national laboratory, focuses on chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science research to support innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses.

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Texas A&M Begins Work on Space Institute at NASA Park
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Texas A&M Begins Work on Space Institute at NASA Park

Texas A&M University has officially commenced construction of an upcoming research facility that would support innovation in human spaceflight. NASA said Tuesday that leaders from Texas A&M broke ground for the Texas A&M University Space Institute at Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

The event marks a significant development in the establishment of Texas A&M University Space Institute and the creation of NASA’s new Exploration Park.

Work Begins on University Space Institute

The Texas A&M University Space Institute is expected to focus on human exploration of space. It will provide opportunities for scientists to study potential solutions to challenges associated with living in low Earth orbit, on the Moon and on Mars. 

At the facility’s ground breaking, Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center, emphasized the importance of the upcoming facility to space research. 

“This is the moment our vision—to dare to expand frontiers and unite with our partners to explore for the benefit of all humanity—will be manifested,” she said. 

The space institute is a multi-million-dollar effort. The site received a $200 million investment from Texas’ state legislature under House Bill 3447, which aims to ensure that Houston maintains its position as a leader in the new space economy. 

It will have high-bay laboratories and large indoor simulation spaces to test lunar and Martian surface operations. The institute is expected to open in September 2026. 

What Is NASA’s Exploration Park?

The Exploration Park is a 240-acre property to foster innovation in space research and exploration and collaboration between the world’s leading innovators. NASA envisions the location to be home to academic research, government programs, and aerospace and technology company initiatives. 

It is also designed to create a pipeline of career development for the Artemis generation, a NASA program to recruit specialists who will work in its lunar exploration program.

The space agency also previously signed an Exploration Park lease agreement with the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation.

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NARA to Begin GenAI Pilot in 2025 to Enhance Data Search Results
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NARA to Begin GenAI Pilot in 2025 to Enhance Data Search Results

The National Archives and Records Administration expects to launch a generative artificial intelligence pilot in early 2025 to enhance how different groups of people find the information they need on the NARA website, Federal News Network reported Monday.

At the recent ACT-IAC ImaginationNation conference, Sheena Burrell, NARA’s former chief information officer, said the pilot will initially focus on applying GenAI to the Warren Commission documents and information related to President John Kennedy’s assassination.

Optical Character Recognition and Semantic Search

NARA is considering Google’s Vertex AI platform for the pilot. According to Burrell, who left the agency last week to assume the chief innovation officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Vertex enables optical character recognition, which allows people with different backgrounds to easily find needed information. The former CIO added that the pilot could enable semantic search on the National Archives catalog to deliver relevant search results.

“One of the things from a customer perspective that we’ve heard a lot is that sometimes people are not able to find what they’re looking for,” Burell said. “A middle schooler versus a person who is a trained archivist or a trained researcher. Those are two different types of experiences, and we want to be able to cater to both.”

NARA is also exploring other AI use cases, including reviewing, redacting and declassifying documents to reduce the time needed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests.

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Pentagon Issues Updated Instruction on MTA Pathway
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Pentagon Issues Updated Instruction on MTA Pathway

The Department of Defense has released an updated document establishing policy and outlining the procedures for managing middle tier of acquisition, or MTA, for rapid prototyping and deployment of capabilities.

The updated DOD Instruction took effect Monday, Nov. 25, and was approved by William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

The changes to the MTA guidance, which was first released in December 2019, include program start date and major defense acquisition program equivalent definitions and references to the Adaptive Acquisition Framework Document Identification, or AAFDID, tool.

The latest document also includes sustainment metrics, exportability considerations and transition plan requirements and clarifying language for classified MTA data and use of the software pathway.

What Is MTA Pathway?

The MTA pathway seeks to address a gap in the defense acquisition system to facilitate the rapid prototyping and deployment of capabilities within five years of a program’s launch.

According to the DOD Instruction, this pathway may be used to expedite capability maturation before transitioning to another acquisition pathway. It may also be used to minimally develop a capability prior to rapid fielding efforts.

Responsibilities of DOD Officials

The defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment should determine whether a program is appropriate or not for the MTA pathway, work with decision authorities to ensure streamlined processes and maintain responsibility for prototyping activities within the MTA pathway.

The updated guidance also calls for the DOD undersecretary for research and engineering to manage the department’s rapid prototyping fund and advise DOD components on program planning that anticipates the evolution of capabilities to meet evolving threats, interoperability and tech insertion.

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NASA’s Industry Collaborators Develop LEO Space Tech
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NASA’s Industry Collaborators Develop LEO Space Tech

NASA’s industry partners under the second Collaborations for Commercial Space Capabilities initiative have made progress in developing technologies to advance future low Earth orbit space missions.

Space Exploration and In-Orbit Transportation

Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, SpaceX and Outpost Technologies are focused on maturing their spacecraft designed for commercial space transportation, logistics and research, human transportation to the moon and Mars, and cargo delivery.

Blue Origin is advancing work on its integrated commercial space transportation capability to ensure safe, affordable and high-frequency U.S. access to orbit for crew and other missions.

SpaceX and Outpost Technologies have completed flight tests of the Starship reusable rocket and the Cargo Ferry reusable cargo vehicle, respectively. SpaceX is now preparing to launch new generations of Starship in advance of the first crewed lunar landing mission under NASA’s Artemis program.

Northrop Grumman, meanwhile, cleared a project management review with NASA related to the company’s development of the Cygnus logistics and research spacecraft.

Commercial Space Station

NASA has partnered with Sierra Space and Vast to build in-orbit space stations as the existing International Space Station nears the end of its life.

Sierra Space has completed two full-scale ultimate burst pressure tests of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment, a NASA-funded inflatable habitat structure component. The company also tested materials for the habitat’s air barrier to ensure they meet the recommended safety standards.

Ahead of the expected 2025 launch of the Haven-1 commercial space station, Vast achieved technical milestones, including fabricating key components such as the primary structure pathfinder, hatch, battery module and control moment gyroscope. It also completed a solar array deployment test and the station’s preliminary design review.

In-Space Servicing and Manufacturing

NASA partners Special Aerospace Services and ThinkOrbital are focused on in-space servicing and manufacturing capabilities.

Special Aerospace Services is developing an Autonomous Maneuvering Unit for the assembly of commercial LEO space stations, servicing, retrieval and inspection of in-space systems, while ThinkOrbital works on autonomous in-space welding, cutting and X-ray inspection technologies.

“Our commercial partners’ growing capabilities in low Earth orbit underscore NASA’s commitment to advance scientific discovery, pioneering space technology and support future deep space exploration,” said Angela Hart, manager of the Commercial LEO Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

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BAE Systems, Rocket Lab Secure Chip Plant Expansion Funding
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BAE Systems, Rocket Lab Secure Chip Plant Expansion Funding

BAE Systems and Rocket Lab are receiving separate U.S. Department of Commerce funding to expand their chips manufacturing facilities vital to national security and the space sector.

The department is awarding the funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s CHIPS Incentives Program, with up to $35.5 million for BAE Systems and a maximum $23.9 for Rocket Lab, the National Institute of Science and Technology said Monday.

Expanded Chip Output 

BAE Systems’ award will fund the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, New Hampshire, a Department of Defense-trusted foundry. The facility’s modernization will quadruple its manufacturing capacity for monolithic microwave integrated circuits vital for advanced military aircraft and commercial satellites.

Rocket Lab’s funding will be spent to modernize and expand the company’s semiconductor plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a targeted 50 percent production increase within the next three years. The higher output is geared at meeting the rising national security and commercial demand for space-grade solar cells. 

Funding Mechanics  

Disbursements of the BAE Systems and Rocket Lab funding will be based on the completion of project milestones. The Commerce Department signed a preliminary memorandum of terms with BAE Systems in December 2023 and with Rocket Lab in June 2024.

The CHIPS of America notice of funding opportunity for commercial fabrication facilities was released on Feb. 28, 2023. It was expanded in June 23, 2023 to include applications for building, expanding or modernizing commercial facilities for semiconductor materials and production equipment with a minimum of $300 million in capital investment.

Arati Prabhakar, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the Biden-Harris administration is driving investment in the semiconductor supply chain to boost U.S. global competitiveness and security.

“America’s space and military systems are the most capable in the world, and that would not be possible without advanced semiconductor technology,” added Prabhakar, a previous Wash100 awardee.

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AFRL to Demo New Tech for Reducing Extreme Space Temperature
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AFRL to Demo New Tech for Reducing Extreme Space Temperature

The Air Force Research Laboratory has launched the Space Power InfraRed Regulation and Analysis of Lifetime, or SPIRRAL, experiment with the SpaceX CRS-31 spacecraft to test the performance of variable emissivity materials, a.k.a. VEMs, in the International Space Station.

The SPIRRAL program will determine how VEMs can reduce temperature extremes in space, AFRL said Monday. Designed to manage thermal challenges encountered by space-orbiting vehicles, the materials alter their optical properties to either reject heat in scorching environments or retain heat in frigid settings.

Game-Changing Space Technology?

Andrew Williams, deputy technology executive officer for space at AFRL, noted that SPIRRAL will change spacecraft thermal control for all satellites. “This technology is the holy grail for spacecraft thermal control and will revolutionize the cost and time for thermal design,” he added.

During the tests, VEMs will be onboard an Aegis Aerospace Materials International Space Station Experiment carrier, which will be stationed outside of the ISS to expose the materials to space. Performance data will then be collected and compared to the VEMs’ anticipated behavior based on models formulated by terrestrial characterization.

Enhanced Spacecraft Resilience

According to Isaac Foster, principal investigator for SPIRRAL, the demonstrations will inform plans to use the technology to bolster future spacecraft resilience, stressing that VEMs will enable more efficient and reliable space assets.

SPIRRAL is part of AFRL’s Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research Project, which seeks to develop technologies for a space-based solar power collection and transmission system to deliver uninterrupted power to U.S. expeditionary forces.

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Vice Adm. George Wikoff Shares How US Navy Tackles AI Challenge
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Vice Adm. George Wikoff Shares How US Navy Tackles AI Challenge

Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet and CMF or the Combined Maritime Forces, said the service branch has taken on the challenge of using artificial intelligence as a foundation in its mission to pinpoint, assess and neutralize adversaries intermixed with innocent mariners at sea.

Speaking at the recent 3rd Saudi International Maritime Forum, Wikoff cited as an example the Project 33 initiative of Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, seeking to deploy AI in maritime tasks through robotic and autonomous systems, the Navy said Monday.

AI’s Use in Allied Operations

Wikoff also noted the unmanned systems that US Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59 has integrated into multilateral and bilateral exercises as one way of tapping AI’s potential for rapid identification and sharing of common maritime threats among allies. In January, the task force formed Task Group 59.1 focused on deploying unmanned systems partnered with manned operators to boost maritime security in the Middle East.

“AI unleashes our ability to assess terabytes of data rapidly, compare it against existing data, analyze patterns, and identify abnormalities, enabling us to accelerate our decision-making processes with increased accuracy,” Wikoff stressed.

Besides Wikoff, the three-day Saudi maritime forum also featured speakers who discussed not only AI’s role in maritime security. Other topics across five dialog sessions and 21 workshops included military industries in AI-driven technologies and advanced maritime systems’ impacts on security and cybersecurity. An exhibition on services and innovations from maritime security companies is another highlight of the forum wherein 29 government agencies joined.

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