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White House Directive Seeks to Reform Commercial Space Regulations
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White House Directive Seeks to Reform Commercial Space Regulations


White House Directive Seeks to Reform Commercial Space RegulationsPresident Donald Trump has signed a new directive that seeks to introduce reforms to commercial space regulations.

A White House memorandum published Thursday says the Space Policy Directive-2 would direct the secretary of the Transportation Department to review licensing regulations concerning commercial spaceflight launch and re-entry operations in collaboration with the National Space Council.

The policy would require the Commerce Department secretary to work with leaders of the departments of Defense and State, NASA and the Federal Communications Commission to evaluate regulations related to commercial remote sensing activities within 90 days.

Another section of SPD-2 would require the Commerce secretary to submit to the Office of Management and Budget a legislative proposal that would establish within the department a new office to oversee commercial spaceflight operations.

The policy calls for the executive secretary of NSC to assess export licensing regulations regarding commercial spaceflight activities and offer recommendations within 180 days.

The Commerce Department should coordinate with FCC and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to come up with a report on radio frequency spectrum regulations that could help build up the U.S. space sector’s competitiveness, according to the directive.

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USDS, OFPP Unveil Certification Program for Federal Digital Service Procurement Professionals
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USDS, OFPP Unveil Certification Program for Federal Digital Service Procurement Professionals


USDS, OFPP Unveil Certification Program for Federal Digital Service Procurement ProfessionalsThe U.S. Digital Service has teamed up with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to launch a new certification that aims to facilitate training of government digital service acquisition professionals.

USDS said Wednesday the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Core-Plus Specialization in Digital Services was launched in accordance with President Donald Trump’s management agenda.

The FAC-C-DS certification seeks to train acquisition professionals on how to speed up the procurement process for digital services through the Digital IT Acquisition Professional training program.

DITAP provides participants access to experts, applied learning, team-based assignments and hands-on skill building.

ICF will hold the first 12-hour per week certification course that needs to be completed for approximately six months.

Registration for the FAC-C-DS course will start on June 18 and run through June 29.

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Trump Signs Bill Aiming to Bolster Accountability of Security Clearance Process
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Trump Signs Bill Aiming to Bolster Accountability of Security Clearance Process


Trump Signs Bill Aiming to Bolster Accountability of Security Clearance ProcessPresident Donald Trump has signed a bill aiming to streamline and boost accountability of the government’s security clearance process.

The Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting Transparency, or SECRET, Act requires the Office of Personnel Management‘s National Background Investigations Bureau to report on security clearance investigation backlogs, Rep. Steve Knight, R-Calif. said Wednesday.

The new law also states that the office would formulate plans to address investigation delays.

The Executive Office of the President will be tasked to provide reports on the adjudication and clearance investigation processes used for the president’s staff.

The bill’s provisions additionally require the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report on and recommend efforts to improve government-wide evaluation programs, requests for classified information and security clearance investigations in general.

Knight stated that the bill also seeks to help federal contractors hire new employees without having to wait for an extensive period of time for security clearances.

The congressman first introduced the SECRET Act in July 2017.

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U.S. Small Business Administration Gives GSA Top Marks in 2017 Scorecard
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U.S. Small Business Administration Gives GSA Top Marks in 2017 Scorecard


U.S. Small Business Administration Gives GSA Top Marks in 2017 ScorecardThe U.S. Small Business Administration gave the General Services Administration an A rating on its 2017 Small Business Procurement Scorecard, the GSA announced Wednesday. This marks the agency’s eighth straight year receiving an A.

The Small Business Procurement Scorecard evaluates, among other things, the degree to which federal agencies achieve their small business contracting annual targets.

For FY 2017, more than 42 percent of the eligible contract dollars that the GSA awarded went to small business contractors.

GSA Administrator Emily Murphy pledged that her agency “will continue promoting ways for small businesses to compete for government contracts.”

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David Davis: Air Force Needs Technical Practices That Align With Space Resilience Focus
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David Davis: Air Force Needs Technical Practices That Align With Space Resilience Focus


David Davis: Air Force Needs Technical Practices That Align With Space Resilience FocusDavid Davis, chief systems engineer for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, has said the service branch’s focus on resilience to counter emerging space threats has implications for spacecraft production and testing, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.

“The technical practices we employ today will continue to drive high costs,” Davis said at the Space Tech Expo in California.

“That will be inconsistent with the resiliency and the proliferation. We need technical practices that are balanced with this overall program,” he added.

He noted that the Air Force could leverage technological platforms built for commercial markets when it comes to satellite development and cited the need for the military and intelligence agencies to ensure the security of commercial components used to develop space systems.

 

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AFRL Uses New Method to Simplify Technology Licensing Processes
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AFRL Uses New Method to Simplify Technology Licensing Processes


AFRL Uses New Method to Simplify Technology Licensing ProcessesThe U.S. Air Force Research Lab is employing a new licensing method designed to accelerate the transitioning of AFRL technologies into commercial development.

Industry entities may now use the Express Technology Licensing website to determine licensing availability and opportunities for AFRL-made products before purchase, Wright-Patterson AF Base said Wednesday.

“Through Express Tech Licensing, we make it easy not only to find out what technologies are available, but also to learn about pre-negotiated terms and pricing,” said Sunita Chavan, leader of the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate Technology Transfer office.

Entrepreneurs may further refine existing AFRL technologies purchased using the method, while AFRL still holds rights to use the refined results for military applications.

At present, there are 36 AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate products listed under the express licensing service.

AFRL worked with marketing support organization Defense TechLink to develop the express licensing website.

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House Turns Down Proposed Limit on Low-Yield Nuclear Weapon in Draft FY 2019 NDAA
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House Turns Down Proposed Limit on Low-Yield Nuclear Weapon in Draft FY 2019 NDAA


House Turns Down Proposed Limit on Low-Yield Nuclear Weapon in Draft FY 2019 NDAAThe House voted 188-226 Wednesday to reject a measure that would have limited the fiscal 2019 funding for a low-yield version of the nuclear warhead W76 for Trident II missiles aboard nuclear submarines, Defense News reported Wednesday.

Reps. Jim Garamendi (D-Calif.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) introduced the proposal as an amendment to the lower chamber’s draft version of the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

The decision came after a group of former national security officials wrote a letter to Congress to decline the Trump administration’s budget request for the nuclear warhead variant W76-2.

The Defense Department released in February the Nuclear Posture Review that suggested the development of a sea-launched cruise missile and a low-yield nuclear weapon for Trident II.

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Israel Air Force Conducts World’s First F-35 Combat Operation
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Israel Air Force Conducts World’s First F-35 Combat Operation


Israel Air Force Conducts World's First F-35 Combat OperationIsrael Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin said at a recent conference that the IAF had conducted two air strikes in the Middle East using the country’s variant of the F-35 fighter jet, dubbed “Adir” or “Mighty One.” The missions mark the first time Lockheed Martin‘s stealth aircraft has seen actual combat, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Norkin described his country’s F-35s as “already operational and flying in operational missions.” Late last year, the IAF declared its fleet of F-35s ready for combat operations.

Israel already has an agreement with Lockheed Martin to purchase a total of 50 F-35 units although the Israeli parliament last year urged the country’s ministry of defense to evaluate possible alternatives.

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GAO Cites Gaps in NASA’s IT Mgmt Practices for Cybersecurity, Workforce Planning
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GAO Cites Gaps in NASA’s IT Mgmt Practices for Cybersecurity, Workforce Planning


GAO Cites Gaps in NASA’s IT Mgmt Practices for Cybersecurity, Workforce PlanningThe Government Accountability Office has found deficiencies in NASA’s implementation of information technology management practices.

GAO said in a report published Tuesday those deficiencies were observed in the space agency’s practices for cybersecurity, governance, workforce and strategic planning.

NASA falls short of implementing an effective cybersecurity risk management process that includes the establishment of a data security program plan; cyber risk management strategy; executive oversight of risks; and related policies to safeguard information systems, according to the report.

“Until NASA leadership fully addresses these leading practices, its ability to ensure effective management of IT across the agency and manage cybersecurity risks will remain limited,” GAO wrote.

The congressional watchdog found that NASA does not evaluate staffing and competency requirements and has failed to document processes related to IT strategic planning in agreement to leading practices.

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Report: DoD Seeks White House Feedback on Defense Industrial Base Review
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Report: DoD Seeks White House Feedback on Defense Industrial Base Review


Report: DoD Seeks White House Feedback on Defense Industrial Base ReviewThe Defense Department has sought comments from the White House on a recently completed defense industrial base review that is expected to identify weaknesses in the supply chain, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza, a spokeswoman for DoD, told the publication that interagency evaluation is now under way for the review.

President Donald Trump requested the review through an executive order signed in July 2017 in order to assess gaps in domestic production capabilities related to national security.

The Trump administration called off in December plans to poll several U.S. contractors as part of the industrial base review and decided to use data agencies already collect instead of asking for proprietary data to detect gaps.

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