U.S. Strategic Command has selected California Polytechnic State University to support a global effort to track in-orbit objects via satellites. Cal Poly said Tuesday that it holds 20 years of helping Vandenberg Air Force Base pack and launch CubeSats for the tracking of in-orbit debris.

Government officials are concerned with the growing amount of space debris and inactive, floating spacecraft in Earth orbit.

“We share a lot of data back and forth with the 18th Space Control Squadron,” said Ryan Nugent, an aerospace engineer at Cal Poly.

He said the squadron would send information on collisions that may involve Poly Cal’s satellites. The university then uses this input to reduce chances of these collisions. Cal Poly students also transmit GPS-based information that Vandenberg operators save for tracking purposes.

Debris-tracking information supports launch safety, satellite maneuver planning, electromagnetic interference investigations, collision assessments and other space management activities.

Florida International University has received $3 million in funds from NASA through the Minority University Research and Education Project to study the development of materials that may endure in space. FIU said Tuesday that it has established the Center for Research and Education in 2D Optoelectronics, a facility that will build 2D material integration tools for space communication devices, small satellite systems and infrastructure.

CRE2DO has created superconductor materials that can support Mars spacecraft components and mitigate the need for battery power. The center has also developed wearable devices that will help astronauts communicate to a space station.

“The projects they’ll be working on will help other scientists and engineers as they work on the Artemis program, the NASA initiative to put the first woman and the next man on the moon,” said Daniela Radu, an associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering at FIU.

The center is slated to work with the Penn State 2D Crystal Consortium in line with the effort.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is looking for an artificial intelligence lead that will provide technical expertise to support the agency’s implementation of AI into its daily operations, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

The AI lead will report to USPTO Chief Information Officer Henry Holcombe and help execute projects such as USPTO’s efforts to use AI for patent classification and trademark image searching to prevent fraud and duplication. In addition, the AI expert will handle issues surrounding biases and how to prevent them.

“We need to figure out how we can use those algorithms to the best of our abilities,” he said. “We’ve seen an explosion in AI submissions and so AI is now maturing to a point to where it actually can be used—we don’t want it to be a buzzword.”

Holcombe noted that USPTO is halfway through recruitment procedures and is open to telework-based operations, which he said may help attract qualified professionals across the country.

Interested parties may submit their applications through Oct. 25.

Lt. Gen. James Dickinson, commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said that the command is making changes in an effort to accommodate the new U.S. Space Command, Space News reported Tuesday.

Dickinson, who has been confirmed to be Spacecom’s deputy commander after being nominated for the post in August, told attendees at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting that SMDC’s space division will now operate as the Army’s component under the new unified combatant command.

He noted that Army personnel under SMDC currently handle satellite communications support and operation centers across the U.S. and overseas. Dickinson also led the reorganization of the 53rd Signal Battalion of the Army’s 1st Space Brigade to improve satcom support operations.

“We have combat veterans that are space officers that provide very valuable operational perspective,” he said. “It’s key to bring capability to soldiers in a timely manner. That is what we have to get to.”

Other new SMDC efforts include the establishment of a Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence. According to Dickinson, the command also seeks commercial technologies spanning communications, surveillance and position, navigation and timing.

The U.S. Army requires Congress approval to move forward with a potential five-year, $1 billion investment in data, artificial intelligence and cloud, FCW reported Tuesday. The investment plan also depends on whether the Department of Defense can award the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure or JEDI cloud contract on schedule.

Ryan McCarthy, secretary of the Army, said the service branch intends to pursue digital transformation with data as a strategic tool and the use of industry-based technology. The Army and the other branches still require a new bill to secure new funds for projects.

“We will manage big data, employ AI-enabled tools in earnest without sacrificing cyber security or resilience,” McCarthy said Monday at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. “Without a budget, it’s a new start program, so we’ll sit and we’ll wait,” the secretary said.

Raytheon announced on Wednesday that the company has signed a teaming agreement with WEY Technology (WEYTEC) to co-develop the next-generation air traffic controller workstation called Multi-platform ATC Re-hosting Solution, or MARS.

“As the skies grow more crowded, controllers need the best technology to efficiently manage the airspace,” said Matt Gilligan, vice president, Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. “Not only will MARS workstations make their jobs easier, they will make the world’s airspace system safer.”

The Raytheon-WEYTEC team aims to replace the current systems, and similar ones abroad, with advanced, modern workstations that seamlessly integrate flight-critical applications, such as surveillance, weather, flight and airport data, onto touchscreens for enhanced airspace management.

Today in the U.S., air traffic controllers use Raytheon’s Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) to provide safe and efficient aircraft spacing and sequencing guidance for over 40,000 departing and arriving aircraft daily at civilian and military airports.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries.

CenturyLink announced on Wednesday that the company has provided a new option for connecting business premises and public data centers to cloud environments with the expansion of its Cloud Connect Dynamic Connections service to Google Cloud Platform. 

“CenturyLink is supporting the digital business with direct, on-demand and scalable cloud networking solutions that customers can easily control,” said Paul Savill, CenturyLink senior vice president, core network and technology solutions. 

The expansion enables self-serve, real-time, dedicated network connectivity across thousands of endpoints in North America, Asia Pacific and Europe through CenturyLink’s secure, global fiber network.

 “With this expansion, Google Cloud customers now have a new, easy way to connect and control their cloud networking environments and adjust bandwidth in response to their evolving business needs,” Savill added. 

CenturyLink Cloud Connect Dynamic Connections includes a self-service portal and API that give customers real-time control over their hybrid cloud networking using private Ethernet services. To further enhance the customer experience, CenturyLink also offers a simple pay-as-you-go billing model that provides the flexibility to add and remove services as needed, without term liability.

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers around the world. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience.