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NASA Wants Blue Origin, SpaceX to Deliver Heavy Cargo to the Moon
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NASA Wants Blue Origin, SpaceX to Deliver Heavy Cargo to the Moon

NASA wants SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop large cargo landers and deliver payloads to the Moon for the Artemis missions. The space agency said Tuesday that the companies will be awarded additional work under existing contracts to mature their designs for the cargo versions of SpaceX’s and Blue Origin’s crewed human landing systems. 

In a statement, Stephen D. Creech, assistant deputy associate administrator for technical at NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office, explained the mission benefits of having two lunar lander providers.

“The Artemis campaign is a collaborative effort with international and industry partners,” he shared. “Having two lunar lander providers with different approaches for crew and cargo landing capability provides mission flexibility while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings for continued discovery and scientific opportunity.” 

Artemis Cargo Landers

While NASA revealed in 2023 that it selected Blue Origin and SpaceX to build crewed human landing systems—or HLS—it was not until January 2024 that the space agency mentioned that the companies were also working on the cargo landers. 

In a media call on Jan. 9, Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program, shared that the companies were “applying the work they’re doing on the human-rated versions of the landing vehicles to develop a cargo variant.”

NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton added in a statement to SpaceNews that work on the cargo landers was done under the HLS contracts awarded to Blue Origin in May 2023 and the “Option B” award SpaceX secured in November 2022. 

In April, the agency further confirmed that the companies are creating the cargo variant of the landers and added that the spacecraft will need to be capable of delivering 26,000–33,000 pounds of payload on the Moon. 

NASA already has plans for at least two missions to land large cargo on the lunar surface. The first mission will see the SpaceX Starship cargo lander carry the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s pressurized rover to the Moon as soon as fiscal 2032. Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon will transport a lunar habitat as soon as fiscal 2033.

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DIU Solicits Solution for Virtual Adversary Integration
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DIU Solicits Solution for Virtual Adversary Integration

The Defense Innovation Unit seeks a commercial solution that would enable the Department of Defense’s Cyber Mission Force to integrate realistic and automated cyber adversaries into its training platform.

The desired technology is expected to advance CMF’s objective of developing and practicing the necessary skills for defensive cyber operations missions. The solution should also allow DOD training planners to build an offensive cyber campaign system with virtual actors, DIU said.

DIU’s Advanced Solution Requirements

Specifically, the solution must allow planners to control the automated adversaries’ elements, such as objectives and stealth levels. The system should also include agents that can adapt to their environment and decide based on certain goal criteria.

In addition, the solution should feature an intuitive graphical user interface to support the easy management of adversary behavior and auditing of the virtual adversaries’ actions.

The government envisions that the technology could replicate the actions and decisions of advanced persistent threat groups and eliminate the need for trained human operators as adversaries during training scenarios, thus cutting down manpower costs.

Ready for Product Deployment

DIU will prioritize proposals that demonstrate product maturity and deployment validation but partial solutions capable of addressing specific requirements would be considered. Responses will be accepted no later than Dec. 6.

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CDAO AI Implementation Plan Called Into Question by DOD OIG
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CDAO AI Implementation Plan Called Into Question by DOD OIG

The Office of the Inspector General within the Department of Defense has found delays in the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s development of an implementation plan for the DOD’s AI Adoption Strategy and AI policy.

Released on Monday, an IG report on the effectiveness of CDAO’s AI services and governance noted that the delays in issuing key foundational documents caused ambiguity in the CDAO’s roles and responsibilities for DOD data, analytics and AI and confusion between the CDAO and the DOD Chief Information Office.

According to DOD Inspector General Robert Storch, the lack of clarity may impact the DOD’s AI implementation and prevent the agency from harnessing the full potential of the technology.

What CDAO Can Do in Response

To address the issue, the report urged CDAO to complete and publish an implementation plan to guide the collaboration between the office and the DOD components on the creation of strategic performance measures that will help achieve the DOD’s AI goals. The OIG also recommended coordinating with the director of administration and management to review existing AI guidance, determine which should be removed or incorporated into the DOD AI policy, and then approve the AI policy guidance.

The report is part of the OIG’s series of oversight work focused on the DOD’s use of artificial intelligence.

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DOD, Commerce to Support Minority Business Enterprises
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DOD, Commerce to Support Minority Business Enterprises

The departments of Defense and Commerce have signed an agreement to leverage their resources, networks, and expertise to bolster the involvement of minority business enterprises, or MBEs, in the defense industrial base.

DOD said Tuesday the memorandum of understanding it signed with Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency seeks to encourage the participation of MBEs in defense supply chains, foster collaboration, use data-driven insights to help MBEs capitalize on defense procurement opportunities and provide them access to training and development opportunities.

“This MOU represents a significant step in expanding access to defense contracts for minority business enterprises, ensuring that our supply chain is diverse, resilient, and capable of addressing the demands of our national defense,” said William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

“By working with MBDA, we can tap into a broader talent base of underrepresented businesses that bring unique perspectives and solutions, which ultimately contribute to a more robust and innovative industrial base,” added the 2024 Wash100 awardee.

The agreement will also help connect MBEs to the Mentor-Protege Program, APEX Accelerators and other DOD programs to help them navigate the defense procurement process.

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Hughes Awarded US Army Contract to Deploy 5G Network
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Hughes Awarded US Army Contract to Deploy 5G Network

Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of EchoStar, has received a $6.5 million contract to deploy a 5G open radio access network, or ORAN, prototype for the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. 

The 5G ORAN prototype featuring a RAN Intelligent Controller, or RIC, will allow the Army to examine RIC-based applications for military networks and explore communications for mobile command posts, EchoStar announced Tuesday. The project is a collaboration between the U.S. Army, the DOD chief information officer and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. 

Dan Rasmussen, senior vice president of the North American enterprise at Hughes Network Systems, said, “This contract award is an important step forward for the U.S. Department of Defense’s efforts to develop next-generation communications networks that can empower innovative applications.”

The 5G Open RAN Prototype 

As the prime contractor for the 5G Open RAN prototype, Hughes will demonstrate, test and integrate an RIC in the Army’s test network. Hughes will also incorporate ORAN infrastructure, engineering acumen and 5G spectrum from EchoStar company Boost Mobile.

The prototype’s equipment will first be installed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to operate a temporary network for testing purposes and is expected to be implemented into Hughes’ commercial network following the initial test. 

“The EchoStar team is looking forward to collaborating with the U.S. Army to test and evaluate specific military use cases that leverage 5G ORAN and the RAN Intelligent Controller,” noted Rasmussen. “The Fort Bliss program will pave the way for further RIC exploration, enhancing network performance for both U.S. government and commercial applications.”

The Open RAN prototype is also designed to reach significant strategic milestones that support fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act requirements for DOD efforts to reshape the supply chain.

EchoStar’s Recent Work With the Military

In August, EchoStar companies Hughes Network Systems and Boost Mobile tested a 5G network designed to aid the U.S. Navy’s primary, alternate, contingency and emergency communication plans.

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Clayton Turner Selected as STMD Associate Administrator at NASA
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Clayton Turner Selected as STMD Associate Administrator at NASA

Clayton Turner, former director of NASA’s Langley Research Center, has been named associate administrator for space technology mission directorate at NASA. The appointment, announced by NASA Administrator and Wash100 Award winner Bill Nelson, will take effect immediately.

NASA said Monday Turner, who’s been serving as STMD associate administrator in an acting capacity since July, will resume his responsibility of overseeing the strategic planning, management and execution of the agency’s technology maturation and demonstration programs.

Clayton Turner’s NASA Career

Turner’s NASA career spans 30 years, with more than 16 spent at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He joined Langley in 2012 as center chief engineer and was gradually elevated to director of engineering, associate center director and deputy center director. The executive was appointed director of the center in 2019 and served in this leadership role for more than five years.

He assumed the acting associate administrator role of the STMD after the retirement of Kurt Vogel. Dawn Schaible, deputy director of the Glenn Research Center at the time, was selected to succeed Turner and lead the Langley Center as acting director.

Turner was instrumental in various NASA projects, including the Earth Science Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation Project and the flight test of the Orion Launch Abort System.

Bill Nelson on Clayton Turner

Nelson stated, “Under Turner’s skilled and steady hand, the Space Technology Mission Directorate will continue to do what it does best: help NASA push the boundaries of what’s possible and drive American leadership in space. I look forward to what STMD will achieve under Turner’s direction.”

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NIST Names New Communications Technology Laboratory Director
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NIST Names New Communications Technology Laboratory Director

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has appointed Melissa Midzor as director of its Communications Technology Laboratory. Her responsibilities include setting standards and creating precision and simulation instruments to measure capabilities and support emerging wireless technologies’ commercialization.

Immediately before her appointment, Midzor served as chief of the institute’s spectrum technology and research division, NIST said Monday. She joined NIST in 2018 as program manager for the institute’s National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network, a multi-agency partnership of government and commercial testing facilities. 

NAVAIR Experience

Before working at NIST, Midzor was the division director for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Electronic Warfare Integrated Laboratories. 

Laurie Locascio, NIST director and undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, described Midzor as “an invaluable asset,” with her practical background and academic record. “Her experience is crucial as we promote innovation in advanced communications while working to ensure that our communications systems are reliable, private and secure,” Locascio said.

Midzor has a PhD in physics, specialized in nanotechnology, from the California Institute of Technology and dual bachelor degrees in physics and sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.

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David Teter to Join Idaho National Lab as COO
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David Teter to Join Idaho National Lab as COO

Idaho National Laboratory has selected David Teter, a nearly three-decade official at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to serve as its chief operating officer and deputy lab director for management and operations.

INL said Monday Teter will assume the position in the spring of 2025, succeeding Juan Alvarez, who stepped down in October to join Battelle Memorial Institute as executive vice president of laboratory operations.

“I am confident that Dave’s proven leadership through decades of work within the Department of Energy enterprise will ensure that we continue to elevate our impact through cutting-edge fundamental and applied research,” said INL Director John Wagner.

Teter brings to INL decades of experience in overseeing large-scale infrastructure projects, strategic planning, managing people, operational leadership and stakeholder engagement.

The newly appointed INL COO most recently served as associate lab director for infrastructure and capital projects at Los Alamos National Lab.

His career at Los Alamos included time as director of the weapons infrastructure and planning office, division leader of materials science and technology and postdoctoral researcher.

He has a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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AUKUS Members to Accelerate Hypersonic Development
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AUKUS Members to Accelerate Hypersonic Development

The defense departments of the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have agreed to combine resources and share expertise, technical information and test facilities to accelerate the development of hypersonic vehicles under the second pillar of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership.

Through the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experimentation project arrangement, a series of hypersonic trials will be held, including up to six trilateral flight test campaigns, the U.S. Department of Defense said Monday.

The testing programs, expected to begin by 2028, are supported by a $252 million funding pool.

Indo-Pacific Security

The AUKUS Pillar 2 focuses on strengthening cooperation in advancing critical technologies that enhance integrated deterrence and boost security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Heidi Shyu, the under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient, said the collaborative effort will speed up the development of high-temperature materials, advanced propulsion systems, guidance and control, and other key technologies essential to improving the performance and operational capability of hypersonic weapon systems.

AUKUS Export Control Changes

In preparation for the Pillar 2 initiatives, the AUKUS members previously made changes to their export control regulations to remove hindrances to defense trade and technology sharing. The allied countries also invited Canada, New Zealand and South Korea — countries that have close bilateral defense ties with the AUKUS members — to join the Pillar 2 collaboration to improve interoperability and contribute to the development of advanced capabilities.

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GSA to Move Subaward Reporting Functions to SAM.gov
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GSA to Move Subaward Reporting Functions to SAM.gov

The General Services Administration will transfer subaward reporting capabilities to SAM.gov in March as it plans to retire FSRS.gov and deliver improved user experience to individuals who report on subaward information and executive compensation data.

GSA said Monday the agency’s Integrated Award Environment expects the transition to enable users to manage reporting for all their Unique Entity IDs from one account, share reporting responsibilities across their team and exert more control over report management.

Aims of the Transition & Who It Will Affect

With the change, IAE also aims to enhance federal funding transparency, reduce duplicate reporting, streamline systems and minimize the reporting burden by leveraging the power of data in SAM.gov.

In addition to FSRS.gov users who report data about subawards, individuals looking for subaward information on SAM.gov and entity administrators will also be impacted by the planned change.

GSA noted that it will provide training, information and materials to prepare users for the upcoming transition.

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