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National Reconnaissance Office Launches 4th NROL Mission
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National Reconnaissance Office Launches 4th NROL Mission

The National Reconnaissance Office launched on Oct. 24 the fourth mission for its proliferated satellite architecture. The mission, dubbed NROL-167, involved the use of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the NRO said Thursday.

Proliferated Satellite Architecture Program

NRO Director Chris Scolese said in May that the proliferated satellite architecture would “enhance our ability to collect and deliver critical information at the speed our users demand.” The four-time Wash100 awardee also said the architecture is characterized by a diversity that “allows us to remain agile and resilient amid increasing competition and emerging threats, ensuring we are well positioned now and in the future to deliver on our mission of keeping our nation safe.”

Increased NROL Launch Frequency

NROL-167, which was launched in partnership with U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 and SpaceX, comes on the heels of NROL-113 — the third mission in the series — which launched just this September. According to the NRO, the short gap between the two signifies an increased launch frequency for the program.

Over half a dozen launches are set for 2024 in support of the proliferated architecture program, while more launches are expected through 2028.

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DISA Pacific Chief on Ensuring Communication in the Indo-Pacific
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DISA Pacific Chief on Ensuring Communication in the Indo-Pacific

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Jared Voneida, commander of Defense Information Systems Agency Pacific, spoke at the recent AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific 2024 conference, where, during a breakout session, he discussed the need for resilient communication in the region.

Communication Node Distribution

Part of that effort to ensure resilience is DISA’s move away from large command and control nodes towards smaller, dispersed sites, according to an article published Thursday on the agency’s website. Node distribution across a wider area ensures continued connectivity because, Voneida said, “[big] nodes are worthy of being attacked.”

“Small dispersion is what we’re looking for, not only for security but also to cover down on the threat,” the official added.

Agnostic Transport

Voneida also discussed the need to achieve what he described as “agnostic transport,” where communication is maintained through the use of a mix of various technologies, including terrestrial fiber and satellite communication.

“What we’re doing is looking at spreading out our capability to make sure the joint coalition force can connect, making it exceedingly difficult to be completely denied,” the DISA Pacific chief explained.

Communication Security

Protecting communication infrastructure is complex, Voneida noted, due to the many ways it can be compromised. Part of efforts to mitigate such threats is DISA collaborating with industry and government partners.

Also key to communication security is Thunderdome, the agency’s zero trust network access and application security architecture.

For Voneida, getting zero trust right would be advantageous in the Indo-Pacific in light of “all these disparate countries that we have to work with.”

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CISA Software Deployment Guide Aims to Secure Products, Services
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CISA Software Deployment Guide Aims to Secure Products, Services

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has jointly developed with the FBI and the Australian Cyber Security Centre a guidance to help software manufacturers and service providers deliver secure products and maintain safe deployment processes. 

Titled “Safe Software Deployment: How Software Manufacturers Can Ensure Reliability for Customers,” the 12-page guidance issued on Thursday can help the software industry provide customer security and service reliability when introducing new product features, CISA said.

The guide provides key considerations in the six phases vital to safe software deployment, including planning, development, internal rollout, testing, customer trial and feedback. The guidance also offers pointers for creating playbooks on efficient and resilient software deployment to ensure that the safety steps taken are well-documented for future reference or use. 

To develop the playbooks, the guide suggests the inclusion of emergency protocols to address the issues and concerns following software deployment. Incident detection and reporting, as well as recovery and rollback procedures are among the emergency protocols that the guidance recommends.  

On the consumer front, CISA and the FBI recently released for public comment the Product Security Bad Practices catalog that also provide recommendations on how to build secure software.

CISA Software Deployment Guide Aims to Secure Products, Services

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 13, to learn more about the major threats poised against the United States and the efforts underway to address them. Register now to join the conversation! 

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ARPA-E Unveils Funding Program to Develop New Quantum Algorithms
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ARPA-E Unveils Funding Program to Develop New Quantum Algorithms

The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has announced $30 million in funding to develop quantum computing-enabled strategies for studying chemistry and materials.

To be awarded through the Quantum Computing for Computational Chemistry program, the funding would support project teams’ efforts to develop new quantum algorithms for innovative energy research, ARPA-E said Thursday.

The selected teams will work on specific chemistry or materials science problems, where quantum capabilities can be used to increase clean energy generation or cut down greenhouse gas emissions. The projects could introduce new superconductors for more efficient electricity transmission or develop enhanced battery chemistries, the agency added.

According to ARPA-E Director Evelyn Wang, the QC3 projects will use the power of quantum computing to overcome the limits of conventional computing and enable researchers to solve high-impact energy problems.

Under the program, the project teams will be required to present quantum simulations that demonstrate a hundred times improvement over classical computing methods. The teams can also showcase scalable solutions that can be verified on existing quantum computing systems.

The QC3 program advances ARPA-E’s mission to develop and deploy advanced energy technologies.

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NASA Report Reveals Space Exploration, Change Research Boosted Economic Activity
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NASA Report Reveals Space Exploration, Change Research Boosted Economic Activity

A new study has found that the U.S. government’s investments in space exploration are giving the economy a boost by creating jobs and generating tax revenues. NASA said Thursday that, based on the results of its third economic impact report, its Moon to Mars activities, climate change research, technology development and other projects have led to $75.6 billion in economic output across the nation in fiscal 2023. 

NASA Programs Benefit Americans

According to the report, the space agency’s programs in fiscal 2023 supported a total of 304,803 jobs, which generated $9.5 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Moreover, the economic impact of NASA programs is felt in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. 

Its Moon to Mars initiative, which includes the Artemis mission, accounted for 32 percent of the agency’s economic impact, generating nearly $2.9 billion in tax revenue in 2023. Approximately 11 percent of its economic impact came from its investments in climate change, with research and technology contributing over $1 billion to the economy. 

NASA scientists and engineers also work on certain technologies that directly benefit American lives. The section of the report on Spinoffs, which refers to public products and processes developed with NASA equipment and funding, created 1,564 new technology reports, 40 new patent applications and 69 patents issued.

“To invest in NASA is to invest in American workers, American innovation, the American economy and American economic competitiveness,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a Wash100 awardee, said in a press release. “Our work doesn’t just expand our understanding of the universe — it fuels economic growth, inspires future generations, and improves our quality of life.”

NASA Budget

Janet Petro, director of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, pointed out that the space agency received less than one-half of a percent of the overall federal budget. 

“Our missions help unveil the secrets of the universe and our home planet while also benefitting the taxpayers, communities, and industries across the country,” she stated. 

For fiscal 2025, NASA is requesting $25.4 billion in funding to support its science and technology projects.

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DOD ManTech Program Announces Appointment of Stephen Recchia, Stephen Luckowski to Key Roles
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DOD ManTech Program Announces Appointment of Stephen Recchia, Stephen Luckowski to Key Roles

The Department of Defense has appointed government program managers Stephen Recchia and Stephen Luckowski to new leadership roles to drive the future efforts of DOD’s Manufacturing Technology program, or ManTech.

The department said Wednesday Recchia succeeds Luckowski as program manager of the DOD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, or MIIs.

Meanwhile, Luckowski will take on the role of director of the Technology Transfer, Transition and Commercial Partnerships Office, or T3CP.

Table of Contents

Stephen Recchia

In his new role, Recchia will manage nine department-led MIIs, provide strategic guidance and facilitate collaboration with the government, industry and academia to advance DOD’s manufacturing capabilities and portfolio of critical technologies.

The former engineer within the U.S. Army most recently served as a program manager within the Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Science and Technology Program.

The DOD MIIs seek to reinforce the country’s domestic manufacturing capability by advancing research and development, building up manufacturing systems and promoting education and workforce development.

Stephen Luckowski

As head of T3CP, the former MII program manager will leverage his experience in technology transition and public-private partnerships to drive innovation, develop commercialization pathways and transition capabilities to the warfighter.

Luckowski has over three decades of Army civilian service.

He previously served as a ManTech program manager for the Army and DOD, director of the Prototype Integration Facility at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey and chair of the metals processing and fabrication subpanel within the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel.

Register now for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 23, and hear from leading defense researchers, experts and decision makers about the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of the U.S. military.

POC - 2025 Defense R&D Summit
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DCAA Appoints Jennifer Desautel as Director
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DCAA Appoints Jennifer Desautel as Director

Jennifer Desautel, former assistant director of policy and quality at the Defense Contract Audit Agency, was appointed DCAA director, effective Oct. 20.

DCAA said Thursday she brings to the role more than two decades of experience in accounting, auditing and management.

As the DCAA director, Desautel has decision making authority on agency policy, resources and operations. She also manages an annual operating budget of approximately $650 million for DCAA whose mission is to deliver contract audit and advisory services in support of the DOD.

Jennifer Desautel’s Career

Desautel held several director and assistant director positions, including director for the Boeing Honeywell Corporate Audit Directorate, at the agency before assuming her recent role as policy and quality assistant director.

In the said position, the DCAA leader drove the development and release of contract audit policy and quality assurance for the agency. Desautel was responsible for audit procedures, standards and guidelines and for oversight of the quality control system.

Desautel also served as associate director for air, space and intel within the Investment Directorate, where the audit professional worked to ensure that air, space and intelligence programs funded by Department of Defense investments were properly priced and financed. She completed a detail with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Comptroller from May 2023 to June 2024.

According to the DCAA announcement of Desautel’s leadership appointment, she has a track record in leading transformative and strategic change, as well as in strengthening coalitions with internal and external partners.

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White House Releases National Security Memorandum on AI
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White House Releases National Security Memorandum on AI

The White House has issued a memorandum directing the U.S. government to implement measures to harness artificial intelligence technologies in support of the national security mission.

Harnessing AI for National Security

According to a fact sheet published Thursday, the national security memorandum directs agencies to propose streamlined procurement approaches and practices to facilitate collaboration with nontraditional vendors and requires the creation of a framework to promote AI governance and risk management in national security.

The document also aims to achieve national security objectives while safeguarding democratic values and human rights.

The memo also proposes actions to ensure the country’s leadership in the development of safe, secure and trustworthy AI tools and drive international consensus and governance around AI.

Advancing US Leadership in AI

To maintain U.S. leadership in trustworthy AI development, the memo calls for actions to improve the diversity and security of chip supply chains and directs U.S. government entities to provide AI tech developers with counterintelligence and cybersecurity information to ensure the security of their inventions.

The new policy officially designates the AI Safety Institute as industry’s key point of contact in the U.S. government and advances the National AI Research Resource.

Fostering International AI Governance

The memo directs the U.S. government to work with allies and partners to establish a stable governance framework to ensure that AI tools are developed and used in ways that protect human rights and fundamental freedoms while adhering to international law.

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Pentagon Issues Cost Analysis Guidance
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Pentagon Issues Cost Analysis Guidance

The Department of Defense has issued a document establishing policy and outlining the procedures for conducting cost analysis, cost estimation and cost data collection within DOD.

Susanna Blume, the department’s director of cost assessment and program evaluation or DCAPE, approved the latest DOD Instruction, which took effect Thursday, Oct. 24.

The issuance states that independent and sound cost estimates are key to acquisition oversight and support effective resource allocation decisions throughout the planning, programming, budgeting and execution process.

The document outlines the responsibilities of the DCAPE, deputy director for cost assessment and DOD component heads and provides details on cost estimation requirement and procedures.

DOD also added a section for cost analysis activities covering major capability acquisition, middle tier of acquisition, defense business systems, acquisition of services and software acquisition.

Users can also learn about the policies for independent cost estimates and those conducted for acquisition decisions, policies for DOD cost estimating and analysis activities and timelines for cost analysis activities.

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TechFlow Awarded Two Success Memos for EV Charging Prototypes
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TechFlow Awarded Two Success Memos for EV Charging Prototypes

TechFlow has been awarded two new success memorandums from the Defense Innovation Unit for its electric vehicle charging infrastructure prototypes.

The success memos recognize TechFlow’s delivery of self-sustaining EV charging prototypes through an open system design that allows Department of Defense customers to minimize costs, advance operations and strengthen energy resilience, the technology company announced Thursday.

Michael Genseal, vice president of energy and mobility solutions at TechFlow, said, “Scaling the federal government’s EV charging infrastructure is about more than just adding chargers – it requires fast, effective deployment that meets demanding mission readiness standards, and TechFlow is up to the challenge.”

During the evaluation periods at Naval Base San Diego and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, TechFlow’s prototype system showed a driver availability uptime exceeding 98 percent.

This most recent success memo builds off a previous memo authorized in November 2023. TechFlow’s EV charging infrastructure has now received a total of three DIU success memos, and the company aims to continue meeting the growing demand for zero-emission non-tactical vehicles.

“We’re proud to have developed our methodology in close collaboration with our DoD partners and DIU to help the federal government achieve its zero-emission goals while enhancing energy resilience, reducing costs and gaining the operational advantages that EVs deliver,” Genseal stated.

TechFlow is also reportedly nearing completion of a prototype project with the U.S. Air Force. If successful, it will be the fourth DOD service to issue a success memo for the company’s autonomous EV charging infrastructure prototypes.

The two new success memos recognize TechFlow’s continued work in the EV space. In September, TechFlow announced a $95 million contract from the U.S. Army Reserve to develop electric vehicle charging and microgrid infrastructures.

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