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NASA on Track to Cut Laser Space Comms Tech Cost
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NASA on Track to Cut Laser Space Comms Tech Cost

The Low-Cost Optical Terminal, or LCOT, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was able to send its first laser communications uplink to the agency’s recently concluded TeraByte Infrared Delivery, or T-Bird, mission in low Earth orbit. 

LCOT is geared toward cutting laser communications technology cost through its use of slightly modified commercial hardware, NASA said Wednesday. 

Fibertek, a fiber optic product supplier, provided NASA with a laser technology that was integrated into the LCOT at Goddard.

NASA noted that LCOT’s first live uplink test delivered sufficient intensity for over three minutes of connection to the tissue box-sized T-Bird, one of the payloads of the CubeSat called Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator-3. 

The three-minute LCOT connection to T-Bird would suffice to draw more than five terabytes of data equal to over 2,500 hours high-definition video in one pass, the agency added. Laser communications’ ultra-high-speed transmission makes it possible for future science missions to farther destinations to maintain their Earth connection.

Through its Space Communications and Navigation program, NASA is pursuing laser communications technology development in various orbits, including the forthcoming Artemis II mission.

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DIA Nearly Ready to Run AI-Enabled Intel Repository on SIPRNet
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DIA Nearly Ready to Run AI-Enabled Intel Repository on SIPRNet

The Defense Intelligence Agency’s artificial intelligence-powered intel database on foreign militaries will soon be authorized to run on the Pentagon’s classified network.

The Machine-assisted Analytic Rapid-repository System, a.k.a. MARS, is scheduled to become fully operational in 2026 and is designed to introduce new security strategies, Defense One reported Thursday.

At an Intelligence and National Security Alliance online event on Tuesday, DIA Chief Information Officer Doug Cossa said that MARS will be on the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network “within the next few weeks.”

Cossa added that moving MARS to the SIPRNet will make it more accessible, noting that the repository will be deployed in one area and secure access will be managed through entitlements for users and devices.

He noted that MARS will allow the intelligence and defense communities to establish a common operating picture that employs each other’s data authoritatively.

According to Randy Resnick, a 2024 Wash100 Award winner and head of the Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office at the DOD, pilots will be conducted in 2026 to test how MARS will operate and comply with an advanced zero trust level.

The DIA launched MARS in 2018 as a replacement for the Modernized Integrated Database, the Department of Defense’s main repository for information gathered on other countries’ militaries and infrastructure.

Since its introduction, MARS has received significant upgrades, such as new tools and AI capabilities.

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USSF Says Boeing-Built X-37B to Perform Aerobraking Maneuvers
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USSF Says Boeing-Built X-37B to Perform Aerobraking Maneuvers

The U.S. Space Force and Boeing will work together to enable the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle to perform a series of aerobraking maneuvers to alter its orbit around Earth while using minimal fuel.

The Space Force said Thursday the Boeing-built X-37B spacecraft will execute a series of passes using the drag of Earth’s atmosphere to change orbits and safely dispose of its service module in compliance with space debris mitigation standards.

“This novel and efficient series of maneuvers demonstrates the Space Force’s commitment to achieving groundbreaking innovation as it conducts national security missions in space,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.

Once aerobraking is complete, the spacecraft will resume efforts to meet its test and experimentation objectives.

“This first of a kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone for the United States Space Force as we seek to expand our aptitude and ability to perform in this challenging domain,” said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.

Kendall and Saltzman are both 2024 Wash100 awardees.

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HHS Office Makes Efforts to Address Information Blocking, API Access
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HHS Office Makes Efforts to Address Information Blocking, API Access

Micky Tripathi, assistant secretary for technology policy and national coordinator for health information technology at the Department of Health and Human Services, said the ASTP office will initiate steps to address information blocking and ensure that application programming interfaces, or APIs, are serving the needs of the healthcare community.

In a blog post published Tuesday, Tripathi wrote that his office will implement a more rigorous assessment process for API documentation, monitor trends through multiple data points and facilitate engagement with API developers.

The national health IT coordinator noted that his office will soon issue new educational materials and information blocking resources, including those specifically related to certified APIs.

According to Tripathi, ASTP is strengthening its feedback channels by adding a section for API-linked complaints and inquiries to the Health IT Feedback and Inquiry Portal.

“This new channel will help us receive timely feedback and take swift action to address any nonconformity or misinterpretation of Certification Program requirements,” he added.

Tripathi, who also serves as acting chief artificial intelligence officer at HHS, stated that his office will continue to direct review certified API developers and their health IT to evaluate their compliance with all applicable requirements under the Certification Program.

Register now for the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 11. Join this key event to explore the transformative trends and innovations shaping the future of the U.S. healthcare sector.

POC - 2024 Healthcare Summit
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Young Bang: Army Eyeing Faster Acquisition Pathway for AI
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Young Bang: Army Eyeing Faster Acquisition Pathway for AI

Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the military branch is considering developing a separate path or a sub-path within the software acquisition pathway for artificial intelligence to accelerate the development and deployment of AI tools to warfighters, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“Let’s figure it out. Let’s be creative. Let’s put things together. Let’s put a [Middle Tier of Acquisition pathway] with a software pathway and work with [the Office of the Secretary of Defense] to get to something faster for AI because as fast as the software pathway is, we need a faster path for algorithms,” said Bang.

According to FNN, the current software pathway requires programs to achieve a minimum viable capability release, or MVCR, within a year.

With the MVCR, the initial version of a functional capability is handed over to service personnel.

“What we’re saying is there’s great utility in a software pathway, but if we use a software pathway for algorithms — overnight is a good example, but some of these can actually take a little bit longer, but still a week. And if we think about that, a week versus an MVCR in a year — the timelines don’t align,” the 2024 Wash100 awardee noted.

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DTRA Seeks Vendors for Cyberthreat Detection & Analysis Tech
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DTRA Seeks Vendors for Cyberthreat Detection & Analysis Tech

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency is seeking potential industry sources of a tool for detecting and analyzing cybersecurity threats.

According to a sources sought notice published Friday, DTRA will accept responses to the request for information until Oct. 21.

According to a draft performance work statement, the contractor will provide DTRA’s Nuclear Enterprise Support Directorate within its Mission Assurance Department with software and all related components of the Advanced Cyber Security Threat Detection and Analysis Platform.

The vendor will also manage and configure the platform, test and evaluate components, maintain a stockpile of all peripheral components, develop long-term storage capability and provide documentation and develop technical training.

The selected contractor will also provide specialized support and expertise to facilitate advanced cyber assessments in support of the larger mission assurance initiative.

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DOD Rule Seeks to Update Data Reporting for Major Weapons Systems
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The Department of Defense has proposed a rule to update cost and software data reporting requirements for contracts above certain thresholds awarded in support of acquisition or sustainment programs that are expected to exceed $100 million.

According to a notice published Thursday in the Federal Register, the proposed DOD rule was introduced as an amendment to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.

The proposed policy intends to eliminate cost and software data reporting from post-award conference procedures.

According to DOD, the rule would provide the department access to cost and software data, enabling it to facilitate cost estimation and comparison across acquisition programs.

Comments on the proposed rule are due Dec. 9.

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Michael Berkholtz on GSA’s Emerging Tech Radar Program
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Michael Berkholtz, a senior manager for technology lifecycle services at the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service, said GSA started the emerging technology radar program 18 months ago to help identify which technologies it needs to prepare for in the next three to five years, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“This idea of a radar is something, I think, a couple of industries use. You can find consulting groups that use it as well as large commercial firms. We think of it in terms of technology and technology maturity, how do we define our own business space?” Berkholtz told FNN in an interview.

Through the program, the GSA official noted that the agency is assessing emerging technologies based on four criteria, including tech platforms that are getting into a government or private sector lab, the business value of a particular technology and how companies are experimenting with a specific technology.

Berkholtz said GSA, for instance, is looking at the efforts of national laboratories and those that are coming out of the Defense Innovation Unit.

He added that the agency is seeing a lot of interest in virtual reality, which is included in the emerging tech radar.

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Interior Department Names Jane Cys Zentmyer as OIG’s CTO
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Interior Department Names Jane Cys Zentmyer as OIG’s CTO

Jane Cys Zentmyer, the former director and chief enterprise architect at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, or OIG, has been appointed as the chief technology officer of the Department of the Interior’s OIG. Zentmyer announced her appointment in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.

According to the Interior Department’s CTO recruitment notice earlier published in the website usajobs.gov, the position’s major duties include serving as a senior OIG adviser on organizational strategies for systems technology and infrastructure modernization. The role also calls for extending technical expertise to the assistant inspector general for management.

Before her six-year stint at HHS, Zentmyer worked in the private sector, which included serving as content strategist for digital services provider DMI and as senior communications specialist, web content strategist at information technology company NCI.

Her previous private sector experience also included writing for American Medical News, the American Hospital Association and the Illinois State Medical Society.

A B.S. Journalism graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Zentmyer holds a master of arts in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield. 

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CHIPS for America Advisory Board Gets New Leadership
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CHIPS for America Advisory Board Gets New Leadership

Scott DeBoer and Mark Papermaster have been respectively appointed chair and vice chair of CHIPS for America’s Industrial Advisory Committee.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology said Wednesday the new appointments come on the heels of the addition of five new members and the return of five others to a second term with the IAC.

Scott DeBoer, the executive vice president of technology and products at Micron Technology, was elevated from his previous vice chair role, where he oversaw the company’s global technology development and engineering efforts. He succeeds Mike Splinter who has served as chair since 2022.

DeBoer has been with Micron for almost 30 years having joined the company in 1995 as a process technology engineer. He also served in various leadership roles including vice president of process research and development. He also serves as site leader for Micron’s Boise area facilities.

Papermaster is the executive vice president and chief technology officer at Advanced Micro Devices, where he spearheaded the development of the Zen x86 CPU family, Infinity Architecture, and the re-design of AMD’s engineering processes.

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