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Blue Abyss, NASA Ink Collaboration
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Blue Abyss, NASA Ink Collaboration

Blue Abyss and NASA’s Glenn Research Center have forged a partnership through a Space Act Agreement to advance commercial space training, research and infrastructure development.

Forging the Future of Space Exploration

The company said Wednesday the collaboration will focus on the development of innovative human spaceflight capabilities, including training and simulations of various extreme environments. The partnership aims to drive scientific discovery, foster innovation and enhance the commercial space sector.

The two organizations will work to develop advanced methods of selecting and training future space travelers, evaluate the effects of extreme gravity and develop advanced infrastructure. NASA will leverage its decades’ worth of technical expertise in space exploration for the project while Blue Abyss will perform an in-depth market analysis to identify infrastructure requirements over the next 10 years. The data will help determine how commercial facilities will be utilized for future space missions.

John Vickers, Blue Abyss CEO, said, “As we develop next-generation infrastructure, including our proposed facilities in the U.S. and U.K., it helps develop the international space sector, supporting industry growth, training and infrastructure development that will support international clients and foster innovation.”

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Robert Salesses Named Acting Secretary of Defense
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Robert Salesses Named Acting Secretary of Defense

President Donald Trump has appointed Robert Salesses, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, as acting secretary of the Department of Defense, DOD News reported Monday.

Salesses will serve as interim DOD secretary until a permanent secretary is confirmed by the Senate. Trump’s current nominee, Pete Hegseth, is still undergoing discussion.

Robert Salesses’ Career Background

Salesses most recently served as deputy director of Washington Headquarters Services, a DOD Field Activity. In this capacity, he was the principal adviser to the director, overseeing a portfolio of integrated operational services to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, military departments, defense agencies, Congress and the Executive Office of the President.

The senior executive service member’s DOD career included time as deputy assistant secretary of defense for defense continuity and mission assurance and deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense integration and defense support of civil authorities, where he served as principal career civilian adviser to eight secretaries of defense.

He started his federal civilian service by serving as the special assistant for the Homeland Security Task Force.

Appointment of Acting Service Secretaries

In addition to Salesses, the White House appointed Mark Averill, head of the Army’s Office of the Administrative Assistant, as acting secretary of the Army and Terence Emmert, most recently principal deputy chief technology officer for mission capabilities at DOD, as acting secretary of the Navy.

The president also named Gary Ashworth, who served as acting assistant secretary of defense for acquisition at DOD, as acting secretary of the Air Force.

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DOD Establishes Policy for Joint Production Accelerator Cell
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DOD Establishes Policy for Joint Production Accelerator Cell

The Department of Defense has released a new directive establishing policy, outlining responsibilities and providing procedures for the function of the Joint Production Accelerator Cell, or JPAC.

William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment and a three-time Wash100 awardee, approved and cleared for public release the new DOD Instruction on JPAC, which took effect on Friday.

What Is JPAC?

JPAC is an office within the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, or USD A&S, that works to establish enduring production capacity, resiliency and surge capability for key defense weapons systems and supplies. It also serves as a key enabler of the National Defense Strategy.

Through JPAC, the department promotes industrial production resilience and ensures capability for defense weapons platforms by assessing and developing optical production strategies.

Strategies for defense weapons systems and supplies include evaluating mitigation strategies for identified production constraints; developing integrated strategies for production surge capability; and assessing global production.

What Are the Responsibilities of the JPAC Executive Director?

The JPAC executive director manages and directs the personnel in executing the roles and responsibilities outlined in the directive and coordinates and exchanges information with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and DOD components that have related responsibilities and functions.

The head of JPAC should communicate directly with DOD component heads to implement the policy, including soliciting advice and assistance.

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DHS Releases Directive on AI Use & Acquisition
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DHS Releases Directive on AI Use & Acquisition

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a directive establishing DHS policy for the use and acquisition of artificial intelligence as part of efforts to advance AI innovation and governance while managing risks.

The directive issued on Jan. 15 states that specifications for technical requirements as required by AI acquisition contracts should address testing and evaluation requirements and risk management considerations.

According to the directive, such specifications should ensure that technical requirements support transparency, performance evaluation and improvement in AI; assess sustainability and environmental efficiency; and address data ownership and management.

What Are the Prohibited Uses of AI at DHS?

The new DHS policy outlines several AI uses that are not allowed within the department, such as relying on outputs of AI as the sole basis for law and civil enforcement actions or denial of government benefits and using data associated with the use of AI to make or back decisions based on improper consideration of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and medical condition, among other factors.

The directive also prohibits the use of AI in unlawful or improper systemic, indiscriminate or large-scale monitoring, surveillance or tracking of individuals.

DHS said improper targeting, profiling or discriminating against any person based on race, general identity, national origin and other individual characteristics is also prohibited.

Responsibilities of DHS Officials

According to DHS, the department’s chief AI officer is responsible for leading governance and oversight processes and structures and establishing strategic priorities for AI deployment efforts.

The directive states that the chief information officer supports the use of AI at DHS through a data management lifecycle framework and data standards and requirements. The CIO should also ensure that AI use complies with cybersecurity requirements and aligns with the department’s customer experience commitment.

Register now to join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 20, to hear more about cutting-edge AI innovations from industry and government experts.

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DARPA Needs Input on Tech for AI System Vulnerability Assessment
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DARPA Needs Input on Tech for AI System Vulnerability Assessment

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is requesting information from industry developers and academic institutions on existing and emerging technologies for vulnerability assessments of artificial intelligence-enabled systems.

The requirement includes techniques and tools to evaluate adversarial access threat models and potential vulnerabilities posed by AI-powered system development and deployment pipelines, DARPA said in a Friday notice posted on SAM.gov. The agency will use the collected input to identify critical gaps that must be addressed in an upcoming AI vulnerability assessment program.

Critical Areas Respondents Must Address

In particular, DARPA would like to hear from parties capable of advancing an AI red teaming framework and autonomous toolkit and executing innovative cyber methods for AI-enabled battlefield systems. Respondents that could address electronic warfare effects for manipulating AI-enabled battlefield systems and physical manufacturing of adversarial effects are also invited to send their submissions.

The effort supports DARPA’s Guaranteeing AI Robustness against Deception program, which was launched in 2019 to develop unique methods of protecting Department of Defense AI models against the threats presented by the adversarial AI research community. Responses from all capable sources, including private and public companies, individuals, universities, research centers and government-sponsored laboratories will be accepted until Feb. 28.

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DOD, SBA Publish Approved Funds for Critical Tech Investment
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DOD, SBA Publish Approved Funds for Critical Tech Investment

The Department of Defense and Small Business Administration have published the names of 18 approved Green Light funds for the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies, or SBICCT, Initiative.

The project aims to bolster national and economic security by attracting and scaling private investment into critical technology areas and component-level technologies and production processes, DOD said Friday. The SBICCT Initiative is a partnership between the Pentagon and SBA.

Under the program, the first cohort of funds is expected to invest more than $4 billion into over 1700 portfolio companies focused on technology areas identified by the DOD. The funds will cover all stages and strategies of private investment, including seed, venture, growth, buyout, direct lending, special situations and fund-of-funds.

Achieving Green Light Letter Milestone

According to the Pentagon, the investment funds achieved the Green Light Letter milestone by submitting an application detailing their management team, investment strategy, track record, fund structure and governing standards. Then the funds’ application went through an operational and investment due diligence and legal review.

The next phase of the process involved a formal interview with SBA’s Investment Committee, which notified the successful funds that they were qualified to manage a small business investment company, or SBIC. The selected funds are invited to raise private capital and apply for their SBIC license, which authorizes them to start investing in portfolio companies.

What Is the Goal of the SBICCT Initiative?

Launched in December 2022, the SBICCT Initiative seeks to increase commercial investment in national security technologies. It will match private capital with guaranteed federal loans to stimulate investment in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum science, microelectronics and space technology.

CBO Projects Debt, Budget Deficit Increase Through 2035
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CBO Projects Debt, Budget Deficit Increase Through 2035

Federal debt is projected to rise from 2025 through 2035 due to revenue growth being outpaced by expenses in Social Security and Medicare as well as interest payments, according to Phillip Swagel, director of the Congressional Budget Office.

The Budget and Economic Outlook

Swagel made the remarks during a press briefing on Friday, citing highlights from The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2025 to 2035, which had just been released. The outlook report is issued regularly by the CBO to present baseline projections of the federal budget and the economy through the current year and the next decade provided prevailing tax and spending laws remain unchanged.

Debt Increase

Regarding debt, Swagel went on to report that it hit 98 percent of gross domestic product as of the end of 2024 and is expected by 2029 to clear 106 percent of GDP, currently the record high. By 2035, debt is projected to be 118 percent of GDP.

GDP Growth

Real GDP growth itself is projected to slow down from 2.3 percent in 2024 to 1.9 percent in 2025. From 2026 through 2035, GDP is expected to average out at 1.8 percent.

Budget Deficit

The CBO official also reported that the budget deficit is expected to hit $2.7 trillion by 2035, up from the $1.9 trillion projected for 2025. It was noted, however, that the cumulative deficit over that 10-year period is lower by about $1 trillion compared to the projection CBO made in June 2024.

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SBA Launches MySBA Digital Platform to Enhance User Experience
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SBA Launches MySBA Digital Platform to Enhance User Experience

The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched the MySBA digital platform. The agency said Friday the new platform is meant to enhance customer experience through advanced digital tools.

The Platform’s Background & Aims

The agency spent years working on the MySBA digital platform with the goal of developing a streamlined process where customers can easily interact with the SBA and its small business support. The platform aims to establish a single sign-on or point-of-entry for digital access to the different programs and services of SBA.

The online portal reportedly provides a responsive digital experience that is fast, efficient and transparent. It features enhanced availability, self-service capabilities and access to relevant information.

As part of the MySBA transformation, other crucial components were strengthened. The MySBA Loans now allows users applying for disaster loans to be matched with SBA-approved lenders through Lender Match. MySBA Certifications is now capable of faster application time for both single and multiple certifications. It is now easier to access online entrepreneurial development content through MySBA Learning.

Furthermore, said platforms and other SBA programs and services can now be accessed through a centralized customer interface.

“Our technology prioritization has changed how small business owners interact with the SBA, remarked SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “MySBA builds on my commitment as administrator to be as entrepreneurial as the small businesses we serve, delivering customer-first, technology-forward solutions to maximize the impact of every interaction with America’s valued entrepreneurs.”

President Trump Orders Establishment of Gov’t Efficiency Department
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President Trump Orders Establishment of Gov’t Efficiency Department

President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, whose purpose will be to help enhance the efficiency and productivity of the government through the modernization of federal technology and software.

Renamed United States Digital Service

Formally known as the United States DOGE Service, the organization is a rebranded version of the United States Digital Service, which was established in 2014 under the Obama Administration with the aim of improving and simplifying government digital services. As with the original USDS, the new organization, which also bears the same acronym, will be housed within the Executive Office of the President, according to the EO that Trump released on Monday.

USDS Leadership

The new USDS will be headed by an administrator who will report to the White House chief of staff. Among the administrator’s responsibilities is the launching of a software modernization effort to bolster the technology infrastructure across the government.

The USDS administrator is also being tasked to collaborate with the heads of various agencies to ensure, among other things, data integrity and network and system interoperability. The administrator will also work with agency heads as they establish DOGE Teams at their respective departments.

DOGE Teams

The executive order does not specify what the functions of DOGE Teams are apart from “implementing the President’s DOGE Agenda.” The teams will comprise “one DOGE Team Lead, one engineer, one human resources specialist, and one attorney.”

Temporary Organization

In addition to overseeing the USDS, the administrator will also head what the executive order calls “the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization.” This temporary organization will be housed within USDS and will terminate by July 4, 2026. Details are not provided regarding its functions either apart from carrying out the president’s DOGE agenda.

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NTIA Awards Grants for Wireless Network Development
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NTIA Awards Grants for Wireless Network Development

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has invested $19.4 million in two projects focused on the advancement of wireless networks.

The agency said Friday the development of open and interoperable wireless networks, supported by the $1.5 billion Wireless Innovation Fund, are intended to strengthen global supply chain resilience and drive competition.

Latest NTIA Grants

The final batch of grants from the second Notice of Funding Opportunity will support projects involving open radio unit innovation and commercialization. The selected companies will collaborate with a mobile network operator to commercialize their projects.

DeepSig received an estimated $10 million for its AI-Enhanced O-RU Massive MIMO project, which enables Open Radio Unit and chipset vendors to implement advanced AI functions. Recon RF secured $9.4 million in funds to work on its project called Ultra-Efficient Front-End-Modules for 5G/6G Open Radio Units, which aims to build Front-End Modules for next generation 5G/6G open radio units.

“Wireless innovation is a major driver for U.S. competition and leadership globally,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in open and interoperable wireless networks will help secure global leadership and increase competition in the wireless market.”

NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson, the assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information, added, “Our awards today are tackling a major wireless network expense head-on with support to bring more open radio units to market. These projects will shore up the hardware supply chain and create new opportunities for companies from the U.S. and its allies along the way.”

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 5G Summit on Feb. 27 to learn more about how 5G and FutureG will enhance national security and public safety. Register here.

NTIA Awards Grants for Wireless Network Development
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