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OAS Unveils New AI Initiative
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OAS Unveils New AI Initiative

The U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States, or OAS, has launched an initiative to promote the development of secure, safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence ecosystems and policy frameworks by OAS member states.

The State Department said Friday the OAS Executive Secretariat for Integral Development will oversee the project, Developing an Artificial Intelligence Policy Framework for the Americas.

Backed by $1.1 million in grant funding from the U.S. government, the project will focus on several areas, including policy and institutional frameworks, AI standards development, multisector collaboration, skills building and training, and good practices and key actions.

According to the department, the initiative reflects the country’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with OAS member states on improving regional cooperation to establish a robust AI framework, ensuring responsible AI practices and fostering innovation.

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DISA Official Shares GovCon Tips for Small Businesses
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DISA Official Shares GovCon Tips for Small Businesses

An official from the Defense Information Systems Agency cautioned small businesses against pitching artificial intelligence-powered tools for programs that are not specifically asking for AI. Carlen Capenos, director of the agency’s Office of Small Business Programs, recently shared advice that could help firms enter the government contracting market. 

Focus on Emerging Technologies

While more and more organizations across industries are adopting AI, it might not always be the technology that a particular agency or project requires. Capenos told small businesses not to pitch trendy technology, whether AI or quantum computing, unless a customer asks for it. 

She instead directed aspiring government contractors to focus efforts on the agency’s watch list for emerging technologies, which identifies specific capabilities DISA plans to invest in. Its watchlist for fiscal 2025, for instance, includes 6G, quantum-resistant cryptography, and AI for cybersecurity and big data analytics.

Start With Subcontracting

Capenos also touched on the requirement for companies to obtain a security clearance to do business with DISA. She acknowledged that it is a common obstacle for small businesses that want to enter the GovCon market. 

The defense official urged small businesses to become subcontractors to prime contractors that can sponsor their clearance. She said the prime contractor does not have to be a large company, either; many small businesses have found themselves working with other small businesses on a project.

Steve Wallace, who currently serves as chief technology officer at DISA, provided similar advice to small businesses during the AFCEA Small Business Workshop held in August. According to Wallace, the agency previously selected GovCon newcomers based on their prior experience with prime contractors. 

Learn From Loss

Finally, Capenos told small businesses to learn from best value tradeoff contracts instead of just offering the lowest price acceptable. 

“You might win, hopefully, you do,” she commented. “But if you don’t win, you’re going to find out what the winning price was. You’re going to find out what your ratings were, what your strengths and weaknesses were, and you’re also going to find out what the ratings were of the vendor who won.”

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NASA Updates Roadmap for Manned Missions to Moon & Mars
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NASA Updates Roadmap for Manned Missions to Moon & Mars

NASA recently released several new documents as part of an update to its Moon to Mars architecture, a roadmap meant to guide the space agency in its efforts to explore the surface of the Moon under the Artemis campaign and eventually send crewed missions to Mars.

Revised Architecture Definition Document

The latest update to the architecture includes a revision of the Architecture Definition Document, which covers exploration plan processes and technical approaches, NASA said Friday. The revised document now offers more information concerning the agency’s decision road-mapping process. The revised document now also lists opportunities that will help technology developers determine what research to prioritize to help enable the Moon to Mars architecture.

Nuclear Fission, Lunar Cargo Lander & Initial Habitat

The architecture update also includes 12 new white papers, with one highlighting the intent to use nuclear fission as the primary power source to sustain personnel on the surface of Mars.

The update also adds two new elements to the architecture. The first is a lunar surface cargo lander, which will deliver various payloads, including those for logistics, communications and science and technology. The second is an initial surface habitat to house astronauts on the lunar surface.

Architecture Concept Review

The changes come on the heels of an Architecture Concept Review, which NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said is “critical to getting us on a path to mount a human mission to Mars.”

“We’re taking a methodical approach to mapping out the decisions we need to make, understanding resource and technological trades, and ensuring we are listening to feedback from stakeholders,” Free added.

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FCC Permits Increased Device Flexibility in 6 GHz Band
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FCC Permits Increased Device Flexibility in 6 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission has implemented new rules authorizing very low-power devices, or VLPs, to operate across all 1,200 MHz of the 6 GHz band.

The increased flexibility is positioned to support advanced applications and smart devices, enhance learning opportunities, improve healthcare outcomes and deliver a modern entertainment experience, the FCC said Monday.

Expanded Access in AR, VR Tech

According to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the federal government expanded access to 1,200 MHz to “jumpstart the next generation of unlicensed wireless devices.” “These are the airwaves where we can develop wearable technologies and expand access to augmented and virtual reality in ways that will provide new opportunities in education, healthcare and entertainment,” she explained.

Devices Operating on 350 Mhz of Spectrum

Under the new FCC rules, VLPs will be permitted to operate across 350 MHz of spectrum. The devices will not be restricted where they may operate and will not be required to operate under the control of an automatic frequency coordination system. However, the VLPs will be mandated to use a contention-based protocol and implement transmit power control to ensure that the risk of interference remains insignificant.

In recent years, the commission allowed unlicensed use between 5.925 and 7.125 GHz, paving the way for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 adoption and supporting the growth of the Internet of Things.

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DIU Seeks Proposals on Safe, Rechargeable sUAS Batteries
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DIU Seeks Proposals on Safe, Rechargeable sUAS Batteries

The Defense İnnovation Unit has issued a solicitation for commercial rechargeable batteries suited for small unmanned aerial systems, or sUAS, operating in diverse missions. Potential contractors have to be compliant with Section 154 of the National Defense Authorization Act imposing new constraints on Department of Defense purchase of China-made batteries, DIU said.

Contractor Transparency Requirement

The solicitation requires materials sourcing transparency in the proposals, including information on country of origin for the batteries’ active electrode materials. The proponents also have to disclose their battery production sites and battery licenses and licensors.

At the minimum, proponents must have a pilot production line with a capacity in the tens to hundreds of megawatt hours per year. DIU’s specific requirements for the sUAS batteries’ energy cell include 290 watt-hour per kilogram of gravimetric energy density and 180 Wh/kg of specific energy density.

Safety Design Features Specifications

The proposals have to specify the batteries’ cell-level safety design features, such as non-flammable components and cell chemistry characteristics. The solicitation also requires aspiring contractors to submit international safety certifications.

DIU encourages partnership arrangements on proposals from non-traditional entrepreneurs, manufacturers or defense system integrators operating battery laboratories. An other transaction agreement for prototyping the sUAS batteries may ensue from the solicitation, which may eventually lead to a production contract without further competition, DIU said.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is Jan. 9, 2025.

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US to Provide $225M for Bosch’s California Chip Factory
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US to Provide $225M for Bosch’s California Chip Factory

The Department of Commerce has signed a preliminary memorandum of terms with Bosch to provide proposed funding of $225 million to expand the company’s silicon carbide, a.k.a. SiC, factory in Roseville, California.

Under the non-binding PMT, the United States would support Bosch’s investment of $1.9 billion to modernize its SiC manufacturing facility under the CHIPS and Science Act, enabling the company to produce chips on 200-millimeter wafers starting in 2026, the Commerce Department said Friday. Bosch also plans to conduct front-end device manufacturing and backend testing, sorting and dicing processes in the factory.

Accelerating Innovation, Advancing US Tech Leadership

According to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, SiC chips are critical components for several industries, including the defense sector, because they use less energy. “One of the core missions of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act is to make targeted investments across every part of the semiconductor industry to accelerate innovation and advance U.S. technology leadership,” she explained.

Paul Thomas, president of Bosch in North America, noted that the federal government’s investment support will allow the company to accelerate its SiC production, thus advancing U.S. consumers on the path to electrification. “Producing this key technology in the U.S. underscores our leadership in the mobility market,” Thomas stressed.

New Employment Opportunities

The Commerce Department projects that the proposed federal funding would support Bosch’s target of ramping up its factory’s production capacity. The agency also estimates that the investment would generate up to 1,700 new employment opportunities in California, including construction, manufacturing, engineering, and research and development jobs.

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USSPACECOM’s Gen. Whiting Stresses Importance of ‘Joint Functions’
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USSPACECOM’s Gen. Whiting Stresses Importance of ‘Joint Functions’

Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, highlighted the importance of operating from a common playbook to combine diverse capabilities and achieve a warfighting advantage, USSPACECOM reported Thursday.

“That broader playbook in joint doctrine is defined as something called the joint functions. The joint functions describe those skills and capabilities that we need to bring to the broader Joint Force, and they are the result of centuries of lessons learned and experience in the terrestrial warfighting domains,” Whiting said Wednesday during the Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The general described each of the seven joint functions listed in the military’s doctrinal guidance for joint operations, Joint Publication 3.0.

Those joint functions are intelligence, information, command and control, fires, protection, movement, and maneuver and sustainment.

According to the document, such functions must be integrated into plans for all operational environments, including the space domain.

Command and Control Joint Function

Whiting designated 2025 as the combatant command’s year of command and control. With this, USSPACECOM will prioritize the revitalization of the ‘space command and control’ concept of operations and reassessment of the space area of responsibility and work with the Department of the Air Force, Space Force and acquisition organizations to ensure the procurement of the right effectors and sensors for the relevant kill chains.

The command will also prioritize efforts to improve capabilities to protect and defend the country’s space systems.

According to Whiting, command and control in space does not occur without the identification of critical assets and “for the first time ever this year, our Critical Asset List now includes commercial and Allied capabilities.”

Advancing Other Joint Functions

The commander said USSPACECOM has made notable progress in the intelligence area.

He noted that “everything we do in space must be intelligence led, given the threats that are now so prominent that we have to face.”

The command also has included the fires function in its integrated priority list for fiscal year 2027.

“If we’re going to achieve space superiority, which is, of course, foundational to Joint Force success, we must have improved capability to protect and defend our space systems and influence targets in space,” Whiting said.

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GAO Says Iterative Processes Needed in Military Acquisitions
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GAO Says Iterative Processes Needed in Military Acquisitions

U.S. military departments have not fully incorporated iterative development structures across all four pathways under the adaptive acquisition framework put forward by the Department of Defense when it revamped its acquisition policies in 2020, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.

Where Was Iterative Development Implemented?

GAO said Thursday that while iterative structures were fully incorporated into policies for the software acquisition pathway, the same incorporation was found to be lacking for the urgent capability, middle tier and major capability acquisition pathways.

What Are Iterative Processes?

Iterative processes are implemented by companies when making cyber-physical products, or products that combine hardware and software. Such processes, which feature continuous cycles of design modeling, validation and production, not only allow companies to deliver products to market quickly but also help them gain critical knowledge, such as whether the product’s design meets user needs.

What Other Problems Were Found?

In the case of U.S. military departments, GAO learned that in addition to partial implementation, iterative development was also understood differently across the various acquisition programs that were evaluated for the report. Critically, some officials did not consider iterative development to be applicable to or feasible for their programs.

What Did GAO Recommend?

To correct these problems, GAO recommended that the departments of the Army, Air Force and Navy update their policies and guidance to reflect iterative development practices. The government watchdog also proposed that each military department designate one or two programs as pilot efforts from which lessons could be derived regarding the use of iterative development practices.

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NASA Completes Roman Space Telescope Payload Integration
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NASA Completes Roman Space Telescope Payload Integration

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has completed the integration of the telescope and two instruments onto the instrument carrier, completing the Roman payload.

Roman Space Telescope Payload Integration Process

The agency said Thursday the team was initially able to incorporate the Coronagraph Instrument, an experimental technology for taking images of exoplanets. The engineers used masks and active mirrors to conceal the glare of the planets’ host stars to complete the integration. 

They then added the Optical Telescope Assembly, including its primary mirror, nine additional mirrors and supporting structures and electronics. The telescope is designed to focus cosmic light and send it to Roman’s instruments enabling scientists to make precise measurements that can help in understanding dark energy, dark matter and planets outside the solar system.

Finally, the team was able to integrate the Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared camera that will enable scientists to view the universe, including exoplanets, distant stars, galaxies, black holes, dark matter and dark energy among other celestial bodies.

Focus will now turn to attaching the instrument carrier to the Roman spacecraft, which will be performed by the team at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Roman mission’s deployable aperture cover, which will protect the telescope from unwanted light, is also being added to the telescope’s exoskeleton.

The observatory is expected to be completed by fall 2026 while the spacecraft carrying it to orbit will launch by May 2027.

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OFPP Directs Agencies to Scale Innovative Buying Practices
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OFPP Directs Agencies to Scale Innovative Buying Practices

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy within the White House Office of Management and Budget has released new guidance directing federal agencies to scale innovative buying practices through organizational improvements.

In a memo published Wednesday, OFPP said an agency’s chief acquisition officer or senior procurement executive should identify a chief acquisition innovation advocate, or AIA, to oversee acquisition innovation activities, eliminate impediments to acquisition innovation activities in the acquisition innovation roadmap and approve an annual acquisition innovation plan that they help develop.

According to the document, the chief AIA should lead the agency’s workforce on acquisition innovation, serve as the key acquisition innovation liaison to OFPP, identify component AIAs and acquisition innovation coaches and develop an annual acquisition innovation plan.

The document was signed by Christine Harada, senior adviser at OFPP.

What Is an Annual Acquisition Innovation Plan?

The plan should encourage innovation pioneers and the workforce to advance cutting edge buying practices to promote an innovation-friendly acquisition environment, as well as include specific metrics and milestones.

According to the memo, agency chief AIAs should submit to OFPP the initial plans by the end of June 2025, identify activities and milestones for the period of October 2025 through September 2026 and briefly describe actions already taken to provide context for planned activities.

OFPP’s Acquisition Innovation Roadmap

OFPP has developed a roadmap built on the principles established by OMB’s 2016 memo on acquisition innovation and informed by the 2024 report of the Chief Acquisition Officers, or CAO, Council to help chief AIAs develop their acquisition innovation plans.

The roadmap has three sections: foundational activities, training and recognition and partnership and outreach.

Foundational activities, for instance, include identifying component AIAs to expand acquisition workforce awareness of innovative buying practices and maintaining and growing acquisition innovation labs for testing, scaling and sharing such procurement practices.

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