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NRO Conducts 3rd Mission to Launch Proliferated Satellite Architecture
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NRO Conducts 3rd Mission to Launch Proliferated Satellite Architecture

The National Reconnaissance Office has launched NROL-113, the third mission supporting the agency’s effort to deploy a next-generation proliferated satellite architecture that NRO Director Chris Scolese said in May would “enhance our ability to collect and deliver critical information at the speed our users demand.”

NROL-113 was launched on Sept. 5 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the NRO said Friday. The launch was carried out in partnership with SpaceX and U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30.

The agency aims to conduct about half a dozen launches within the year in support of its proliferated architecture. The first launch, NROL-146, took place in May while the second launch, NROL-186, took place in June.

Regarding the satellite architecture, Scolese, a four-time Wash100 awardee, said it is characterized by a diversity that “allows us to remain agile and resilient amid increasing competition and emerging threats, ensuring we are well positioned now and in the future to deliver on our mission of keeping our nation safe.”

NRO Conducts 3rd Mission to Launch Proliferated Satellite Architecture

The Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Intel Summit will bring together top Intelligence Community officials, government decision makers and industry executives to discuss the future of American intelligence. Register now to attend this important event!

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NASA Seeks Potential Partners for Plan to Develop New OSAM-1 Use Cases
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NASA Seeks Potential Partners for Plan to Develop New OSAM-1 Use Cases

NASA is seeking potential partners for its plan to develop new use cases for the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing 1 spacecraft.

The space agency said it requires information on possible uses for OSAM-1, which was designed to showcase space servicing capabilities and the technology’s transfer to U.S. companies.

The alternative uses should apply to flight hardware, test facilities and personnel associated with the OSAM-1 project, NASA said, noting that the property could be repurposed for different technology demonstrations.

OSAM-1 can also be integrated with other hardware for commercial applications or deployed to enable collaboration with other organizations for scientific research, the agency added.

NASA noted that OSAM-1 was originally designed to demonstrate autonomous and telerobotic technologies for in-space servicing, including the on-orbit assembly, disassembly and reassembly of communication antenna segments.

Interested organizations from the industry and academia and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit proposals that would advance U.S. commercial, civil and national objectives.

Submissions will be accepted until Sept. 30.

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PIA Authority Is Helping SOCOM Speed Up Transition of Projects Into SBIR Phase 3
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PIA Authority Is Helping SOCOM Speed Up Transition of Projects Into SBIR Phase 3

Lisa Sanders, director of science and technology for special operations forces, acquisition, technology and logistics at U.S. Special Operations Command, said adopting a partner intermediary agreement, or PIA, is enabling SOCOM to reduce the time it takes to transition projects into the Small Business Innovation Research program’s Phase 3, Federal News Network reported Friday.

Under the fiscal 2020 defense authorization bill, Congress authorized SOCOM to use PIA in conjunction with other transaction agreements.

“In fiscal 2023, our average time to production decision from the initial topic announcement to the award of a follow on in phase 3 is 18 months, which is compared to SOCOM’s average before using this authority was five years,” Sanders told FNN in an interview.

“We also transition about 50% of the projects that we do under this authority into phase three. Our program is structured in such a way that the program offices who are the transition partner are the ones that identify the topic, the ones that select the vendor, and they are the ones that do the SBIR contract management. There’s a built-in transition pathway, which is part of the reason that we have such a high transition rate,” she added.

Sanders noted that the command used the PIA authority in 2023 for SBIR awards worth about $2.4 million using its own funding and then another $16 million on more traditional approaches for SBIR awards.

She also discussed the impact of the PIA authority on the software acquisition process and how it has enabled SOCOM to attract non-traditional contractors over the last year.

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HHS CIO Jennifer Wendel to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit
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HHS CIO Jennifer Wendel to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

On Dec. 11, GovCon industry luminaries, healthcare thought leaders and experts will gather at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit to give insight into the challenges facing the industry, including the rise of artificial intelligence, navigating the changing regulatory landscape, harnessing the power of data analytics and more. 

As one of the event’s keynote speakers, Jennifer Wendel, acting chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will share her thoughts on the future of the healthcare industry as it continues to transform. You won’t want to miss this conversation, so secure your tickets now!

Jennifer Wendel’s Background

HHS CIO Jennifer Wendel to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

Wendel took on the position of acting chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, in December 2023. In her role, Wendel manages the department’s $7 billion information technology portfolio and supports the agency’s expansion mission to improve Americans’ health and well-being.

Prior to being appointed acting CIO, Wendel served as deputy chief information officer for HHS, overseeing IT systems and security activities for a workforce of over 83,000. Wendel is also a member of the federal government’s senior executive service.

Wendel’s FBI Career

Before joining HHS, Wendel had a long and productive career with the FBI.

“For 26 years, I worked with talented and dedicated friends and colleagues to protect the American people and uphold the constitution at the FBI,” Wendel said in a LinkedIn post. “It was a bittersweet week as I packed up my office, said farewell to many, and celebrated a diverse and rewarding career.”

Wendel started her career with the FBI in 1996 and has held numerous other roles within the bureau, including section chief of enterprise IT management, chief of the executive staff unit within the criminal investigative division and supporting the assistant director in administering new initiatives for the unit.

During the early portions of her tenure with the FBI, Wendel served as a biologist managing forensic DNA cases, interpreting DNA profiles, reporting the results and testifying as a DNA expert in court. She then became the chief of the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, unit and the National DNA Index System. 

Wendel was tasked with developing, deploying and operating the CODIS software to federal, state and local crime laboratories in the United States.

Jennifer Wendel’s Notable Achievements 

Wendel has 20 years of experience leading digital transformation across various industry avenues and is using that knowledge to spearhead modernization at HHS. 

Here are some of the accomplishments Wendel has achieved during her career thus far:

  • Directed 192 U.S. federal, state and local crime labs and 88 international law enforcement labs.
  • Built a high-performance team to facilitate large-scale projects through sustainable personnel and business operations.
  • Exceeded FBI unit objectives following a 35 percent staffing loss due to a hiring freeze.
  • Reengineered daily reporting model to streamline operational workflow and enterprise-wide communications.
  • Led the development and deployment of advanced software packages and four service enhancements across 280 laboratories.

Jennifer Wendel to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

Jennifer Wendel will deliver a keynote address on Dec. 11 to conclude the 2024 Healthcare Summit. The summit will feature officials from all facets of the healthcare world, and this conversation will be essential to advancing the healthcare industry in the future.

Register for your spot before it’s too late to join the conversation with Wendel and other healthcare leaders.

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Commerce Department Implements Export Controls on Critical Tech to Protect National Security
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Commerce Department Implements Export Controls on Critical Tech to Protect National Security

The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security has implemented export controls on critical and emerging technologies that U.S. adversaries can use for military applications.

Under a newly published interim final rule—or IFR—quantum computing items, advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturing, gate all-around field-effect transistor technology and additive manufacturing items are subject to worldwide export controls to ensure the products are not used for purposes contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy, the BIS said Thursday.

The agency implemented the controls as a result of a broad technical agreement with international partners.

“Aligning our controls on quantum and other advanced technologies makes it significantly more difficult for our adversaries to develop and deploy these technologies in ways that threaten our collective security,” said Alan Estevez, Commerce under secretary for industry and security.

The bureau has included exceptions in the IFR to eliminate the need for partners to submit export license applications for collaborations focused on advancing critical technologies.

Under the License Exception Implemented Export Controls, countries that have implemented equivalent technical controls are authorized to export and reexport the newly added products.

Eligible destinations identified by BIS include Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia and France. 

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ITI Offers Recommendations to Improve NIST Guidance on Dual-Use Foundation Model Risks
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ITI Offers Recommendations to Improve NIST Guidance on Dual-Use Foundation Model Risks

The National Institute of Standards and Technology‘s AI Safety Institute should work to support organizations seeking to ensure the security of artificial intelligence systems by developing additional technical red-teaming guidance for dual-use foundation models.

Global technology trade association ITI said Thursday it had made this recommendation in response to the AISI’s consultation regarding a draft document it had released on the management of risks to dual-use foundation models, a type of AI technology underpinning a variety of common applications like internet search but also possessing the potential for advanced benefits like accelerated research.

ITI also proposed that the guidance tackle the roles, responsibilities and capabilities of various actors in the AI value chain and identify where responsibility-taking can occur.

Concerning transparency and disclosure, the guidance should also list the information to be disclosed by organizations and to whom they should be disclosed.

According to ITI Vice President of Policy Courtney Lang, having “a consistent understanding of misuse risks and ways to address them” is key to AI safety.

“By incorporating the tech industry’s feedback, NIST can strengthen its guidance document and provide a playbook for stakeholders, ensuring consistency, bolstering accountability, and mitigating risks for consumers and businesses,” Lang added.

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Post-Quantum Cryptography Coalition Publishes Comparison of Global PQC Standards
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Post-Quantum Cryptography Coalition Publishes Comparison of Global PQC Standards

The Post-Quantum Cryptography Coalition has released a comparison of PQC standards from international government regulatory bodies, with contributions from over 125 cyber researchers.

The coalition is working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to provide the cyber community with comprehensive guidance for the post-quantum transition, MITRE said.

Led by MITRE and SandboxAQ, the coalition intends to accelerate the implementation of quantum-resistant methods to address the anticipated cyberthreats posed by quantum technology.

According to Matt Mickelson, lead coordinator of the coalition and senior cyber principal for science and technology at MITRE, national and international PQC standards establish a common framework for addressing the upcoming risks to personal, commercial, military and intelligence data.

He noted that the threats also target “the digital signatures that identify trusted entities and contracts.”

Established in September 2023, the global coalition of experts, technologists and researchers seeks to enhance the public understanding and adoption of PQC.

At present, coalition participants are collaborating on workstreams regarding standards, education, implementation and agility to help countries around the world prepare for the post-quantum transition.

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US, German Researchers Launch Hypersonic Flight Test to Study Airflow Physics
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US, German Researchers Launch Hypersonic Flight Test to Study Airflow Physics

U.S. and German researchers launched the Boundary Layer Transition 1B hypersonic experiment from Andoya Space in Andenes, Norway on Monday.

A joint research project of the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the German Aerospace Center, BOLT-1B flew over the Norwegian Sea at a speed of Mach 7.2, Johns Hopkins said.

The flight test delivered critical information on airflow physics at hypersonic speeds, the laboratory added.

According to Brad Wheaton, chief scientist at Johns Hopkins APL, the experiment will inform efforts to improve the design of future hypersonic vehicles.

The collected data will be used to reduce modeling uncertainties for hypersonic vehicles and optimize their performance, he added.

Johns Hopkins noted that BOLT-1B aims to better understand the airflow around a hypersonic vehicle’s skin, called boundary layer transition, which increases vehicle drag and aerodynamic heating.

During the flight experiment, BOLT-1B’s advanced instruments performed over 400 measurements and recorded the scientific data before hitting the ocean. Researchers will use the data to validate more accurate modeling and prediction methods for engineering hypersonic vehicles.

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NSF Allocates Funds for EducateAI to Help Develop Future AI Workforce
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NSF Allocates Funds for EducateAI to Help Develop Future AI Workforce

The National Science Foundation is funding the EducateAI awards to develop a well-trained AI workforce for the future.

The agency said Wednesday it is investing an estimated $8 million in the Educate AI program, launched by its Computer and Information Science and Engineering and STEM Education directorates.

Educate AI aims to lay the groundwork for a future federal workforce of AI experts, starting their training from the K-12 level. Through the initiative, a national infrastructure will provide access to computational data, software, models and training materials essential for AI research.

The funding will be allocated to five projects, which will also benefit from the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot.

The awardees are as follows:

  • NSF Artificial Intelligence Entry Pathways
  • NSF Expanding the Undergraduate AI Talent Pipeline by Democratizing Access to Instructional Capabilities across Institutions of Higher Education
  • NSF Integrating Artificial Intelligence Literacy into Community College Programs
  • LEVEL UP AI: Developing Strategies to Increase Capacity and Inclusion in AI Education
  • Mobilizing CAHSI Institutions to Infuse Ethical Reasoning in CS Curricula through Contextualized AI Scenarios

Greg Hager, assistant director for CISE, noting the need for a diverse, AI-ready workforce, said, “Through the EducateAI initiative, we are investing in AI educational programs that both complement and amplify our continuing efforts to broaden access to AI research resources.”  

“These investments not only advance our commitment to fostering innovation in emerging technologies but also ensure inclusive access to AI research resources,” commented Katie Antypas, director of the NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. 

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NASA & DARPA Collaborate on Orbital Satellite Servicing Capability Demonstrator
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NASA & DARPA Collaborate on Orbital Satellite Servicing Capability Demonstrator

NASA will provide subject matter expertise in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency‘s Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites, or RSGS, program under an agreement between the two agencies.

The aim of the collaboration is the technological development, integration, testing and demonstration in geosynchronous Earth orbit of the RSGS servicing spacecraft, which is expected to advance the inspection, repair and upgrade of satellites while they are in orbit, NASA said Thursday.

The effort is expected to benefit from the expertise NASA has gained from various relevant efforts like the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 project.

Regarding the collaboration, NASA Deputy Administrator and past Wash100 Award winner Pam Melroy said her agency “is excited to support our long-term partner and advance important technologies poised to benefit commercial, civil, and national objectives.”

“Together, we will make meaningful, long-lasting contributions to the nation’s in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities,” Melroy added.

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