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Commerce Department to Roll Out Traffic Coordination System for Space Phase 1.0 in September
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Commerce Department to Roll Out Traffic Coordination System for Space Phase 1.0 in September

The Department of Commerce will launch by the end of September the initial phase of the Traffic Coordination System for Space, or TraCSS, program, Breaking Defense reported Monday.

The announcement of the rollout comes after the agency signed an agreement with the Department of Defense regarding data from military radar and related assets that will be shared with TraCSS and the system’s non-military users.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce is developing TraCSS as a cloud-based information technology system that will provide space situational awareness and space traffic coordination support services for private and civil space operators.

During a conference in Las Vegas, Sandy Magnus, chief engineer at OSC, said Phase 1.0 of the TraCSS system will include a small group of “beta users” only and a subset of the space tracking and monitoring data sources.

Barbara Golf, executive agent for space domain awareness at Space Systems Command, discussed DOD’s efforts to address security concerns over data-sharing with the new space traffic system.

“We are working through some pretty detailed documentation. The first one we just got done … are the data transfer requirements … down to the micro-level” and “signed out by multiple four-stars,” Golf said at the event.

OSC on Thursday released a solicitation for the TraCSS program’s Presentation Layer.

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Navy Department’s 2 Flank Speed Cloud Computing Capabilities Get ATO Approval
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Navy Department’s 2 Flank Speed Cloud Computing Capabilities Get ATO Approval

The Department of the Navy’s Neptune Cloud Management Office announced that the Flank Speed Impact Level 5 GitHub Service and Flank Speed Azure Impact Level 6 Tenant cloud capabilities have received authority to operate approval.

DON’s Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services said Monday the cloud platforms seek to help improve the department’s ability to facilitate collaboration and provide service members access to critical data.

“These cloud computing capabilities provide Navy and Marine Corps mission owners with stronger tools in Flank Speed to collaborate across the Navy and Marine Corps and support systems modernization efforts; as well as expand Enterprise Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) classified data capabilities,” said Neptune CMO Director John Mithun.

“We are bringing capability to our customers that addresses their needs at the speed of mission,” Mithun added.

What Are the Flank Speed Cloud Offerings?

The FS IL5 GitHub Service serves as a repository for infrastructure as code, or IaC, and offers security controls and governance to enable mission owners to build their environments and develop and field their platforms. The service also authorizes application development using the department’s Rapid Assess and Incorporate Software Engineering, also known as RAISE.

FS Azure IL6 uses the Azure Government Secret offering and provides mission owners with accelerated access to sensitive, mission-critical information while ensuring the integrity and security of classified workloads. It is a self-contained environment connected to the DOD SIPRNet and is available from three accredited regions worldwide to support disaster recovery and business continuity requirements.

“The Flank Speed Azure IL6 is an ecosystem that brings together over 300 Azure services to seamlessly mesh with commonly used tools, providing an intuitive, integrated and secure space for our Sailors and Marines around the world,” said Kory Bennett, product owner for Azure IL5/6. “Understanding there will be nuances, the end game is to have the IL6 environment mirror the capabilities in IL5.”

Neptune CMO plans to introduce upgrades to the USMC Azure environment to support the Integrated Mission Data Fabric initiative.

POC - 2024 Navy Summit

Register here to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Navy Summit on Aug. 15 and hear government and industry leaders, innovators and experts discuss the latest technological advancements, maritime security and more.

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Matthew Seaford Appointed CHIPS Program Office Deputy Chief Portfolio Management Officer
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Matthew Seaford Appointed CHIPS Program Office Deputy Chief Portfolio Management Officer

The Department of Commerce has appointed Matthew Seaford as deputy chief portfolio management officer of its CHIPS Program Office.

Seaford announced starting in the new role in a LinkedIn post on Friday. He will work for a Commerce Department office tasked to support investment in U.S. facilities and equipment under the CHIPS for America program.

Before taking on the new job, Seaford served as a national security adviser at the CHIPS Program Office for nearly two years and was the deputy director for the Defense Production Act Title Three program at the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a post he held for six years.

Seaford earned his doctorate in materials science and engineering from Cornell University and his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Rutgers University.

Seaford will be the second-in-command under Lynelle McKay, the newly appointed chief portfolio management officer of the CHIPS Program Office, which has already announced around $30 billion in proposed funding to bolster the U.S. semiconductor industry.

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GovCon Index Hit 4th Consecutive Week of Growth
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GovCon Index Hit 4th Consecutive Week of Growth

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index rose by 0.69% last week, an increase that elevated the average to $5,218.19.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that collects and displays real-time data on the stock market performance of 30 major government contracting companies. With this information, users can make their own assessments of current GovCon market trends and evaluate the standing of each tracked organization.

Parsons, which grew by 13.85%, was last week’s top performer. ICF claimed the second spot with gains of 10.17%, and Tetra Tech’s 8.46% increase earned the company the third slot in the ranks. Fourth and fifth place were taken by Lockheed Martin (+4.37%) and Booz Allen Hamilton (+2.88%), respectively.

GovCon Index started off the week in positive territory, rising by 0.16% on Monday. On Wednesday, GovCon Index grew by 1.33% — the highest growth day of the week.

This momentum was halted on Thursday with a decrease of 0.45%, but overall, GovCon Index was able to maintain its positive trend.

Check out last week’s market reports for more insights into daily GovCon Index performance. To access the full list of tracked companies, click here.

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Army’s FLRAA Platform Gets Milestone B Approval
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Army’s FLRAA Platform Gets Milestone B Approval

The U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program will now transition to detailed aircraft design work after receiving Milestone B approval.

The Army said Friday the latest acquisition decision came after the completion of a preliminary design review in April and the Army Systems Acquisition Review Council’s meeting in June.

With Milestone B, the Army can now exercise contract options and advance the development of six prototype aircraft.

“This an important step for FLRAA and demonstrates the Army’s commitment to our highest aviation modernization priority,” said Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology.

“FLRAA will provide assault and MEDEVAC capabilities for the future Army, adding significantly increased speed, range and endurance,” added Bush, a previous Wash100 awardee.

In December 2022, Textron’s Bell subsidiary won a contract from the Army to build its V-280 Valor tiltrotor for the FLRAA program.

FLRAA seeks to provide aircrews and ground forces with reach and standoff capabilities to perform air assault missions.

The Army expects the FLRAA platform to have its initial flight in 2026, move to low-rate initial production in 2026 and begin initial fielding activity in 2030.

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Mark Thomas Appointed CFO for Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
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Mark Thomas Appointed CFO for Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Mark Thomas, a 20-year veteran in the field of financial management and accounting, has been chosen as the new chief financial officer of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC.

The federal agency said Friday Thomas will also serve as the principal deputy comptroller for management of the OCC.

In his dual role, Thomas is mainly tasked with managing the OCC’s annual operating budget, from the planning stage to its execution. His other duties include supervising the agency’s financial systems and internal and financial controls program.

Thomas is also responsible for overseeing travel policy and operations, as well as the records management of the agency. Additionally, he will manage the compliance and strategic planning tasks of the Office of Management.

Before his appointment at the OCC, Thomas was a senior executive at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At the FDIC, he was involved in acquisition management and financial quality assurance. He worked in the private sector, particularly in retail operations management, for almost nine years before going into federal service.

With his 20 years of experience in federal service, Thomas is well-versed in budgetary processes, government contracting and internal controls.

Thomas graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Maryland.

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AFRL’s New Laboratory Enables Advanced Digital Manufacturing Technology R&D
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AFRL’s New Laboratory Enables Advanced Digital Manufacturing Technology R&D

The Air Force Research Laboratory has opened a new facility that will support its Digital Manufacturing Research Team—a.k.a. DMRT—in researching and developing advanced digital manufacturing technology for the Department of the Air Force.

The establishment of the Manufacturing, Industrial Technologies and Energy Division’s Collaborative Automation for Manufacturing Systems Laboratory aligns with the 2023 Air Force Material Command Strategic Plan to deploy Digital Materiel Management, an initiative aimed at accelerating the acquisition materiel lifecycle using digital technology, the Air Force said Friday.

The CAMS lab invested in artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies, including collaborative robotics and industrial extended reality hardware, to enable autonomous manufacturing.

It also features a motion capture system that allows creating a digital twin of the laboratory for virtual experimentation in a cloud environment.

According to Sean Donegan, the DMRT lead who played a key role in setting up the facility, CAMS complements the labs and partnerships the DMRT has developed and meets critical manufacturing requirements that could not be fulfilled through DMRT’s external partnerships.

“Our strategic research outlook targets necessities like point-of-need manufacturing and forward-deployed manufacturing assets,” said Donegan. “This technology will enable rapid refitting of systems in the field for quick turnarounds. This allows for resilient basing and agile combat employment.”

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Rear Adm. Chad Cary Confirmed as Director of NOAA Corps, Office of Marine & Aviation Operations
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Rear Adm. Chad Cary Confirmed as Director of NOAA Corps, Office of Marine & Aviation Operations

Rear Adm. Chad Cary will serve as head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Commissioned Officer Corps and NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations—a.k.a. OMAO—after receiving Senate confirmation.

NOAA said Friday Cary, who was confirmed by the Senate Thursday, will succeed Vice Adm. Nancy Hann, who will transition to the role of NOAA deputy undersecretary for operations.

“Rear Adm. Cary is a proven leader who has the skills, experience and dedication needed to advance NOAA’s science, service and stewardship mission,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.

In this capacity, he will lead the NOAA Corps and oversee the agency’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships and 10 specialized aircraft.

The rear admiral most recently served as deputy director of the NOAA Corps and deputy chief for operations at OMAO.

Cary has served as head of the NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center, held command positions aboard the agency’s ships John N. Cobb and Reuben Lasker and supported NOAA Fisheries and the National Weather Service.

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NASA Calls for Entries to 2025 Academic Competition for Aerospace Innovation
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NASA Calls for Entries to 2025 Academic Competition for Aerospace Innovation

NASA has launched the 2025 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage competition seeking proposals to develop new ideas on future deep space exploration.

The 2025 RASC-AL program will focus on three themes, including concepts for large-scale, long-term lunar surface habitation and technology demonstrators for Mars exploration, NASA said.

The program, one of NASA’s longest competitions, will also accept proposals on developing a small lunar servicing and maintenance robot.

Teams of undergraduate and graduate university students and their faculty advisers have until Oct.16 to submit a notice of intent to join the competition. The deadline for the proposals and videos of teams that submitted notices is Feb. 24, 2025.

NASA will select up to 14 team finalists, which will each receive a $6,500 stipend for them to present their concepts in a competitive design review at the 2025 RASC- AL Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in June 2025.

The top two overall teams selected during the forum will receive additional stipends to enable their concept presentation at an aerospace conference later in 2025.

Dan Mazanek, assistant branch head for the Exploration Space Mission Analysis Branch at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, called the event “a wellspring for groundbreaking ideas,” fostering creativity and pushing space exploration boundaries.

“We are looking for innovative solutions that can advance our capabilities beyond Earth’s orbit and pave the way for sustainable lunar exploration and beyond,” he said.

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DOD Advisory Panel Calls for Integration of Commercial Capabilities Into National Security Space Architecture
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DOD Advisory Panel Calls for Integration of Commercial Capabilities Into National Security Space Architecture

The Defense Science Board Task Force on Commercial Space System Access and Integrity has released a study that calls for the incorporation of commercial space capabilities into national security space architectures to ensure resilience, SpaceNews reported Thursday.

The study’s recommendations include the implementation of a framework that would enable such an integration of commercial capabilities, the incorporation of commercial space services evaluations into institutional processes and the development of capabilities to monitor the use of commercial space assets by adversaries.

The DSB is a committee comprising civilian experts tasked with providing senior Department of Defense leadership with advice. The task force that prepared the report was co-chaired by Mandy Vaughn and retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski.

The report was commissioned by Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and 2024 Wash100 awardee Heidi Shyu in November 2022.

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