The Naval Research Laboratory has deployed a plasma sensor platform aboard SpaceX‘s Dragon spacecraft as part of the company’s 17th cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The Space PlasmA Diagnostic suitE is built to track space weather conditions around ISS and detect potential hazardous charging levels for the station, the U.S. Navy said Monday.

In addition, SPADE will highlight the instrument’s response to any changes in the plasma sheath and excite local plasma through the use of an active antenna. A passive antenna will observe the excitation process.

“This opens many new possibilities for measurements in industrial processed plasmas and in atmospheric pressure discharge experiments,” said Erik Tejero, plasma physicist at NRL’s plasma physics division.

Vice President Mike Pence said providing expanded access to 5G spectrum across the U.S. could help accelerate innovation in the space industry, Breaking Defense reported Monday. He said at the Satellite 2019 conference in Washington, D.C., that the Trump administration wants to use high speed connection “to give innovators in all industries access to spectrum you need to compete and win in global marketplace.”

The government hopes to use 5G to accelerate data transfer, increase connectivity for development of internet of things and to enhance cybersecurity and data protection. Some satellite communications companies and operators expressed interest in utilizing 5G to support their operations and services. 

Eutelsat and Telesat suggested that the satellite industry should manage the spectrum-sharing process with mobile operators to provide 5G service in the U.S. Pence said the Federal Communications Commission plans to hold its “largest spectrum auction ever” in December to establish the 5G network nationwide. The industry can submit comments on FCC’s auction through May 15.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is in need of research teams for the development of a scent-based technology to lower mosquito attraction through the temporary alteration of skin microbiome. The four-year ReVector project seeks to repel mosquitoes through the mediation of skin microbiome interaction and body metabolites to reduce the instances of disease transmission, DARPA said Friday.

“DARPA wants to apply the tools of biological engineering to create a new protective approach that is optimized for troops in the field,” said Christian Sund, program manager for ReVector.

The selected researchers under the project are required to study the variability between individual microbiomes and create a product that will function on a range of varying microbiome types. Interested researchers may present their plans for the project and are required to have worked with the Food and Drug Administration as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

The agency noted that it aims to use the planned technology in other medical applications including wound and infection treatments.

Air Force Research Laboratory demonstrated the use of a new high energy laser weapon against multiple targets during a test at White Sands Missile Range. The test unit of the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator shot down multiple missiles on April 23, marking a new milestone for the technology’s development, the U.S. Air Force said Friday.

SHiELD is a pod-installed directed energy laser system designed to protect aircraft from missiles. AFRL envisions SHiELD’s final version to be smaller and lighter than the system’s test unit.

“The ability to shoot down missiles with speed-of-light technology will enable air operation in denied environments,” said Maj. Gen. William Cooley, commander of AFRL.

The U.S. Army’s has created an innovation unit to work on two projects seeking to implement automated technology to simplify battlefield technical operations and quicken budgeting activities, FCW reported Saturday.

Gen. John Murray, head of the Army Futures Command, announced after a House Armed Services Subcommittee hearing that the Army Applications Laboratory is developing capabilities that will enable warfighters to code on the field to fix communications systems.

The lab is working on machine learning-driven technology using algorithms to help Army officials evaluate risks the service and industrial base experience due to procurement decisions. Murray noted that the capability will allow leaders to “see the impacts of the decisions in real time” instead of spending hours on assessments.

“It’s not necessarily the decision-making, but how that is presented in a more automated way,” he said.