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OSC Seeks Support for Traffic Coordination System for Space
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OSC Seeks Support for Traffic Coordination System for Space

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce is conducting market research to identify sources that can provide cloud infrastructure and provisioning services for the Traffic Coordination System for Space.

The potential vendor must demonstrate space situational awareness—or SSA—experience, be able to operate high-impact IT operations and maintain an authority to operate while integrating third-party data and services, OSC said Tuesday.

Support for Spaceflight Safety

TraCSS is an enterprise solution enabling the Department of Commerce to coordinate space traffic and promote spaceflight safety. The system ingests, archives, processes and disseminates SSA data and products. It features a modular IT system that supports element replacements, including the system integrator.

Designed to store customer information and operate 24 hours a day, TraCSS can deliver conjunction analysis and warning services to satellite operators and provide data and services, such as launch and re-entry timeframes.

TraCSS’ Future Prime Contractor

Through this effort, OSC seeks a company capable of serving as TraCSS’ future prime contractor. The agency is anticipating to solicit proposals and award a contract within the calendar year 2025.

Responses from interested parties will be accepted until Nov. 26.

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tapped as DHS Secretary by Trump
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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tapped as DHS Secretary by Trump

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been chosen as the next Department of Homeland Security secretary under President-elect Donald Trump.

In this role, Noem will lead DHS and its agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Secret Service. Trump has referred to Noem as a “terrific person,” and at one point, she was a potential running mate for his 2024 presidential campaign, CNN reported. 

Learn more about border security operations from the officials who oversee them at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 13. Secure your ticket to the 2024 Homeland Security Summit now!

Kristi Noem’s Work in Legislation 

After working in the South Dakota legislature for a few years, Noem was selected to serve as the state’s only U.S. House of Representatives member. In 2018, she was elected South Dakota’s first-ever female governor after running on a platform to protect South Dakotans against tax increases, federal intrusion, government growth and secrecy. 

Noem was then re-elected in 2022, accounting for the largest vote total in the history of South Dakota. 

Other Recent Trump Appointments 

In a Sunday post on his social network Truth Social, Trump also announced the appointment of Tom Homan, former director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as border czar and Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser, as his deputy chief of staff for policy.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Tapped as DHS Secretary by Trump
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Executive Mosaic Accepting Nominations for 2025 Wash100 Award
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Executive Mosaic Accepting Nominations for 2025 Wash100 Award

Executive Mosaic, the industry-leading events, media and membership organization for the government contracting sector, is thrilled to commence its 2025 Wash100 Award season and open executive nominations for the accolade’s 12th anniversary.

The Wash100 Award annually commemorates the top 100 executives of consequence in the government contracting landscape. The award acknowledges top government officials and GovCon industry leaders with proven contributions to government missions in anticipation of their continued impact, transformative achievements and positive influence across the federal environment in the coming year.

The GovCon community can nominate executives who they believe deserve the coveted Wash100 Award for their impact across the public sector. Visit Wash100.com to submit your nominations and learn more about the history of the widely renowned award and its previous recipients.

“At Executive Mosaic, we’re setting the stage for an exhilarating year of unparalleled Wash100 recognition, excellence and prestige,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award. “The coming year promises to be a period of significant transformation, with major leadership shifts, cutting-edge technologies and emerging trends shaping the GovCon space. As the new movers and shakers begin to emerge, the Wash100 will serve as a reliable beacon for identifying and honoring the true innovators and leaders of 2025.”

“I’m thrilled to invite our GovCon community to nominate those leaders who are redefining the federal landscape through their vision and impact. Now is your chance to make your voice heard!” Garrettson added.

Process of the 2025 Wash100 Award Season

Nominations for the 2025 Wash100 Award are open until Jan. 10, 2025. In these submissions, be sure to outline how your nominee displays outstanding GovCon acumen, experience and leadership.

The complete list of nominees will be unveiled on Jan. 23, 2025, followed by a popular vote competition and daily coverage of each winner. The winner of the popular vote will be announced in May.

2024 Wash100 Season Welcomed New Faces

The 2024 Wash100 Award featured an astounding list of executive winners, with 50 percent of recipients being new to the list.

Individuals eligible for nomination come from various backgrounds, including GovCon firms, policy groups, consulting organizations, government advisers, academic institutions and other industry-related entities. In 2024, over one-third of the 100 award recipients were government officials, and nearly two-thirds were industry executives.

Additionally, 56 companies and 20 federal agencies were represented in the 2024 Wash100 selection. Executive Mosaic is also honored to highlight that over one-third of this year’s winners were women.

Wash100 History

Jim Garrettson founded the Wash100 Award in 2014 to honor the foremost change-makers transforming the government landscape. The award has gained substantial GovCon industry recognition and is now widely considered the most recognized accolade in the GovCon sector. Each year, the Wash100 Award recognizes 100 outstanding executives working in the government contracting sector.

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Laura Drummer Appointed CDO for Air Force Intel Community
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Laura Drummer Appointed CDO for Air Force Intel Community

Laura Drummer has assumed new responsibilities as chief data officer for the Air Force intelligence community at the U.S. Air Force. She confirmed her new role in a post on LinkedIn on Monday. 

Who Is Laura Drummer?

Drummer is a technology expert with over 15 years of leadership experience in the technology industry. 

Before joining the Air Force, she founded and served as CEO of TAS Labs, a provider of software, cloud, data and artificial intelligence services to government, defense and national security customers. She also held the role of director of analytics and AI within the technical solutions division of HII. 

Drummer’s resume includes a brief stint as head of AI product management at Alion Science and Technology and over 11 years at Novetta Solutions, where she oversaw software, engineering, cyber and intelligence operations as director. 

The executive began her career as an intelligence analyst at the Department of Defense. 

Drummer holds a bachelor’s degree in Mandarin Chinese from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master’s in information systems from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

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USS John Basilone Commissioned
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USS John Basilone Commissioned

The USS John Basilone was commissioned during a ceremony held on Nov. 9 and led by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, a Wash100 Award winner.

The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said Saturday the USS Basilone became the 74th ship of her class at the commissioning ceremony. It is also the second ship to bear the John Basilone name.

The USS John Basilone

The Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named after Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, the only enlisted marine to receive a Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for his exploits during World War II.

Basilone served in the Philippines earning him the the moniker “Manila John.” He then fought in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, where his heroism earned him the Medal of Honor. Basilone later served in Australia and in Iwo Jima, where he was killed in action.

Diane Hawkins, niece of Basilone, spoke at the ceremony and detailed her journey of retracing her uncle’s heroic military past. Aside from highlighting Basilone’s heroism on the battlefield, Hawkins also talked about his wife, Lenah Riggi and thanked the crew of the newly commissioned ship.

Del Toro mentioned in his speech that the ship’s sponsors, Ryan Manion and Amy Looney Heffernen, both from Gold Star families, will guide USS Basilone and the crew, based on naval tradition. The Navy Secretary also reminded the crew that, “Service is not an obligation, it is a privilege, a chance to be part of something greater than ourselves and uphold the values that define us as a nation.”

The commissioning ceremony was attended by marines from John Basilone’s 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment.

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VA Plans Grants to Support Veterans’ Telehealth Program
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VA Plans Grants to Support Veterans’ Telehealth Program

The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning a grant program for telehealth access portals in non-VA facilities, an initiative that will end copayments for all of the department’s telehealth services. 

Focused on rural and medically underserved veteran communities, the program—called Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations, or ATLAS—would fund nonprofits and private businesses offering veterans comfortable venues providing high-speed internet access for remote consultations with VA healthcare providers, the department said Monday.

The ATLAS grants would also allocate funds for training onsite support personnel for the program. 

Public Input on Grant Guidelines

The VA is publishing its proposed program guidelines in the Federal Register for public comment starting Wednesday. The department will release a notice on the ATLAS funding opportunity after the publication of the program’s final guidelines.

ATLAS is part of the U.S. government’s current efforts to expand healthcare access and lower its costs for veterans. In September, tele-emergency care was opened nationwide for all veterans enrolled in VA Health Connect, a phone service that enables immediate medical consultations with healthcare professionals. 

The VA has also started waiving copays for the first three outpatient mental healthcare consultations of veterans each year and expanded the clinic schedules available to them.

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NASA Seeks Comments on Draft EASS 4 Solicitation
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NASA Seeks Comments on Draft EASS 4 Solicitation

NASA’s Langley Research Center is inviting interested parties to comment on a draft request for proposal for a five-year Evaluations, Assessments, Studies, Services and Support 4, or EASS 4, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity recompete contract.

According to a presolicitation notice posted on SAM.gov on Friday, work under the potential contract, expected to be awarded in July 2025 to a small business, will support the research center’s Science Office for Mission Assessments responsible for the management and oversight of evaluations, assessments and studies of Earth and space science instruments for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, or SMD.

Contract Requirements and Competition Deadlines

Contract work includes proposal and concept study report evaluations; independent reviews of missions, investigations and programs; and studies of scientific, technical, schedule, cost and other aspects of SMD missions and investigations.

Comments regarding the draft solicitation, including about the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions and evaluation approaches, should be submitted via email by Nov. 14. NASA expects the final RFP to be released by Dec. 10, with proposals due approximately 60 calendar days later.

A pre-proposal conference will be held in mid-January 2025 after the final request is posted on SAM.gov.

Cornell Technical Services is the incumbent contractor on the $111.8 million EASSS 3 contract awarded in September 2020.

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DOC Invests in Corning & Powerex to Boost Chip Supply Chain
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DOC Invests in Corning & Powerex to Boost Chip Supply Chain

The U.S. Department of Commerce has invested up to $35 million for the expansion and modernization of two companies, aimed at enhancing the nation’s semiconductor industry.

The DOC said Friday it signed two separate preliminary memoranda of terms awarding Corning up to $32 million and Powerex up to $3 million in proposed direct funding to develop their respective facilities in Canton, New York and Youngwood, Pennsylvania. The proposed CHIPS and Science Act investment is expected to boost the production of key semiconductor components and create hundreds of jobs.

Goals of Commerce’s Investments

The expansion of Corning’s manufacturing facility will create 130 manufacturing jobs and over 175 construction jobs while Powerex’s back-end production facility will create more than 55 manufacturing jobs and 20 construction jobs.

Through the investment, Corning can boost production of its High Purity Fused Silica and EXTREME Ultra Low Expansion Glass, used in manufacturing deep ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and photomasks. The company will also develop a novel technology manufacturing process to strengthen the domestic supply chain for these critical components.

Powerex, meanwhile, manufactures semiconductor power modules used in F-35 fighter jets and other defense applications.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, remarked, “These proposed actions are creating quality jobs across the country while advancing U.S. technological leadership.” 

Wendell Weeks, CEO and chairman of Corning, said, “This proposed investment and the continued commitment in Canton will enable us to establish the next-generation manufacturing capabilities needed to produce vital materials for lithography tools that will develop the world’s most complex microchips, strengthening our commitment to advancing semiconductor technology and job creation in the United States.”

Powerex CEO Joseph Wolf, added, “This proposed investment allows us to meet rising demand with U.S.-made products while building a stronger future for our team and community.”

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DOD, NASA, GSA to Revise Pre-Award Registration Requirements
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DOD, NASA, GSA to Revise Pre-Award Registration Requirements

The Department of Defense, NASA and General Services Administration have issued an interim rule to amend the System for Award Management solicitation provision and its pre-award registration requirements.

In a Federal Register notice published on Tuesday, the agencies announced that the interim rule will revise the Federal Acquisition Regulation to clarify that contracting companies must be registered during bid submissions and the resulting contract awards. However, offerors will not be required to be registered between the two points.

Avoiding False Assumptions

The interim rule intends to update instructions for SAM registration and rectify an inconsistency regarding the timing of offerors’ registration. It clarifies that a registration lapse that occurred after a proposal submission but was corrected before the contract award will not make an offeror ineligible for award under FAR. The clarification should avoid false assumptions and prevent the unnecessary loss of resources for businesses.

The three agencies called on interested parties to submit written comments on the interim rule, noting that the input would be considered in finalizing the regulation.

The Regulatory Secretariat Division will accept submissions until Jan. 13, 2025.

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Immersive Wisdom Wins AFWERX Contract for Collaboration Software
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Immersive Wisdom Wins AFWERX Contract for Collaboration Software

Immersive Wisdom, a company that offers proven TRL-9 distributed communications and ops center software platform for digital war rooms in denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited-bandwidth, or DDIL, environments, has booked a strategic funding increase contract from AFWERX and Air Combat Command for its low-bandwidth and no-bandwidth digital war room collaboration software.

The Boca Raton, Florida-based company said Tuesday the STRATFI contract, backed by funding from three DOD commands, expedites the deployment of the collaboration software worldwide.

Immersive Wisdom Collaboration Software

The low-bandwidth and no-bandwidth collaboration software enables disaggregated or decentralized communications in hostile conditions.

Mike Appelbaum, CEO of Immersive Wisdom, stated, “Three distinct DOD Commands participating in this STRATFI is a significant testament to the critical need for low and no-bandwidth communications capabilities across DOD. We are delivering digital war rooms worldwide that connect geographically distributed warfighters, closing massive time and distance gaps, regardless of underlying communications infrastructure.”

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