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NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II Picks 9 Companies to Move Forward
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NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II Picks 9 Companies to Move Forward

NASA has awarded grants to nine small businesses through its 2023 NASA Small Business Innovation Research Ignite Phase II pilot program earlier this month.

The selected companies are tasked with developing technologies that can be used in future agency missions and the commercial space industry. If successful, the projects will be used in critical missions such as deep space exploration, low orbit missions and life preservation on Earth.

Some of the technologies being developed by the group of awardees are intended for wildfire detection, water management in agriculture, in-space debris detection, mineral mining from lunar regolith and in-space production. Each small business will receive up to $850,000 for their projects.

The SBIR Ignite Phase II awardees are as follows:

  • Astral Forge 
  • Astrobotic Technology
  • Benchmark Space Systems
  • Brayton Energy
  • Channel-Logistics
  • GeoVisual Analytics
  • Space Lab Technologies 
  • Space Tango
  • VerdeGo Aero

After being selected for Phase I of the 2023 SBIR Ignite program, the companies were given $150,000 and six months to work on their technologies.

Solicitation for the 2024 SBIR Ignite Phase I ended on July 30, 2024. Companies moving on to Phase II will be announced in Fall 2024.  The program is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley.

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DLA Aviation Transitions to New Warehouse Management System at Navy Sites
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DLA Aviation Transitions to New Warehouse Management System at Navy Sites

The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation has started using the Warehouse Management System at Navy distribution centers in California, North Carolina and Florida.

Set to eventually replace the agency’s Distribution Standard System, WMS supports ongoing efforts to enhance inventory management, operational efficiency and warfighter support, DLA said on Wednesday.

According to Angela Johnson, order fulfillment division chief in DLA Aviation’s Business Process Support Directorate, the new system improved the visibility of inventory location, movement and delivery to the customer.

She added that WMS, which was based on System Applications and Products, reduces the time required to deliver requisitions and enhances overall operational performance.

Notably, DLA Aviation in San Diego, California credited WMS for improving its accuracy and warehouse space utilization, enabling the facility to meet increasing demands.

The same goes for DLA Aviation in Jacksonville, Florida, which reported that the system allowed requisitions to flow to the Fleet Readiness Center Southeast customer with minimal delay.

Overall, WMS cut down requisition backlogs and improved delivery times, according to DLA.

Following WMS’ deployments at select Navy sites, DLA Aviation will finalize the development of its local delivery processes and conduct interoperability system testing between DLA and the Air Force, the system’s next user.

Johnson said WMS will receive constant updates and enhancements to ensure improved warehouse management and operational efficiency.

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CISA Issues Warning About Ransomware Threat From Iran-Based Cyber Actors
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CISA Issues Warning About Ransomware Threat From Iran-Based Cyber Actors

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released an advisory detailing the tactics, techniques and procedures used by a group of cyber threat actors with connections to the government of Iran and an unnamed IT company from the same country.

The Iran-based cyber actors, known as Pioneer Kitten, UNC757, Parisite, Rubidium and Lemon Sandstorm, conduct operations with the aim of deploying ransomware to obtain and develop network access and facilitating collaboration with affiliate actors for further attacks, CISA said Wednesday.

The advisory, which was prepared jointly with the FBI and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, warns of the continued activity of the threat actors, which target U.S. and foreign organizations from various sectors, including government, education, finance, healthcare and defense.

To help organizations defend against attacks, the advisory also details indicators of compromise as well as mitigation guidance.

CISA Issues Warning About Ransomware Threat From Iran-Based Cyber Actors

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NASA Taps Harmony Myers as Acting Deputy Chief of Safety & Mission Assurance Office
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NASA Taps Harmony Myers as Acting Deputy Chief of Safety & Mission Assurance Office

Harmony Myers has been appointed acting deputy chief of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA, according to the executive’s LinkedIn post shared Tuesday.

Myers takes on a leadership role overseeing safety and mission assurance activities across the agency’s different programs. She will be responsible for policy direction, functional management and coordination of the said activities.

The executive joined the agency in 2006 as a safety and reliability engineer before serving a variety of roles. She was later assigned to the NASA Safety Center at the Ohio Aerospace Institute in Cleveland, Ohio as director of the technical excellence office before her promotion to director of the center.

Prior to her move to NASA, Myers served as systems engineer and reliability engineer for United Space Alliance, where she got to work at the Kennedy Space Center. She also served as the region governor for the Society of Women Engineers.

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Antitrust, Labor Agencies Partner to Boost Information-sharing During M&A Reviews
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Antitrust, Labor Agencies Partner to Boost Information-sharing During M&A Reviews

The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of enhancing investigations carried out to assess the impact of mergers and acquisitions on labor markets, thereby protecting workers and ensuring fair competition.

The FTC said Wednesday that under the MOU, when it conducts a review of a merger or acquisition alongside the DOJ, the DOL and NLRB will, upon request, provide information, data and technical assistance in support of the investigation. The DOL and NLRB will also provide relevant training to personnel from the antitrust agencies.

The MOU calls on the four agencies to meet biannually to discuss the implementation of the activities covered by the agreement.

Commenting on the MOU, FTC Chair Lina Khan said, “By deepening partnerships with the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the FTC will keep building on our whole-of-government efforts to ensure that all Americans can get a fair shot in our economy, free from unlawful coercion.”

For his part, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said, “Our partnership with the FTC, NLRB, and DOL will help us identify and take action against mergers that threaten to harm competition for workers.”

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US & Canada Agree to Cooperate on Protecting Consumer Privacy
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US & Canada Agree to Cooperate on Protecting Consumer Privacy

The Federal Communications Commission and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding stating their intentions to cooperate and share information to enforce U.S. and Canadian laws protecting consumer privacy, data and cybersecurity.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel and Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne signed the cross-border cooperation agreement as the digital age enables telecommunication carriers to access vast amounts of personal information, which is stored and transmitted across complex networks that extend beyond traditional borders, the FCC said Wednesday.

Under the MOU, both parties agreed to assist with investigations related to consumer privacy, data and cybersecurity; facilitate research and education related to the protection of personal information; and share knowledge and expertise through bilateral meetings, digital videoconferences, training programs and staff exchanges.

“In a world where information flows transcend borders and jurisdictions, information sharing and enforcement cooperation with international partners is essential to protecting individuals’ fundamental right to privacy,” said Dufresne. 

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FedRAMP Launches Digital Authorization Package Pilot
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FedRAMP Launches Digital Authorization Package Pilot

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has unveiled a pilot program to explore the use of the Open Security Controls Assessment Language — OSCAL — to develop machine-readable, digital authorization packages.

FedRAMP said Wednesday the Digital Authorization Package pilot’s goal is to enhance the program’s open source digital authorization package guidance and validation tooling and help cloud service providers, or CSPs, prepare system security plans, or SSPs, in OSCAL.

An SSP is one of the key documents in a FedRAMP authorization package. The document describes a system’s component services and security requirements and identifies the implemented security controls to meet those requirements.

FedRAMP will work with federal agencies, CSPs and providers of governance, risk and compliance tools and run the pilot as an open source project on GitHub.

The program expects pilot participants to review FedRAMP OSCAL SSP technical guidance, identify areas for improvement in the documentation, use the OSCAL SSP validation rules, collaborate with the OSCAL automation team and offer feedback on GitHub and during weekly conference calls.

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DOD Pushing AI Implementation, Space Domain Development for Allies
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DOD Pushing AI Implementation, Space Domain Development for Allies

The Department of Defense believes allied nations ought to tap into innovations in artificial intelligence and space to meet upcoming security challenges.

During the 2024 South American Defense Conference, Air Force Gen. Charles Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, and Army Gen. Laura Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command, spoke on how global partners might go about integrating the technologies, the DOD said Thursday.

Brown named seven challenges—infrastructure, architecture, data, focus, resourcing, talent and culture—that must be addressed to make AI more than just a theoretical conception.

“These seven challenges … are challenges we all face,” Brown emphasized. “But by working together, we can share knowledge, experience and solutions [that enable] us to unlock the full potential of this new technology within our network of allies and partners.”

During Richardson’s remarks, she mentioned enhanced domain awareness, which entails setting conditions for efficient AI and machine learning to advance collaboration in a wholistic federal approach, to achieve a “common operating picture” in space.

“As allies and partners, we will continue our efforts to enable our collective space domain awareness; and improve our readiness, resiliency and capability to overcome threats,” Richardson stated.

Brown then backed up Richardson, emphasizing collaboration is the key to developing the space domain. 

“We must work together to develop norms of behaviors that respect all nations’ rights,” Brown said, “creating a space network where everyone can benefit from its unique capabilities — all for the common good.”

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DIU Awards 2nd Contract on Space Cargo Delivery Project to Stoke Space
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DIU Awards 2nd Contract on Space Cargo Delivery Project to Stoke Space

The Defense Innovation Unit has awarded Stoke Space a $4.5 million contract to prototype a rocket for point-to-point cargo delivery to and from space and across the domain.

According to the Kent, Washington-based rocket developer, the contract was granted through the DIU’s Novel Responsive Space Delivery—or NRSD—project, which kicked off with its first award to The Spaceport Company in May.

The NRSD effort is geared at funding commercial solutions for the rapid reconstitution of space capabilities that would enable resupply missions for precise delivery of time-sensitive cargo to on-orbit or terrestrial destinations.

For the project, Stoke said its rocket design and architecture can be custom-fitted into a dual-use system for cargo delivery directly from Earth to orbit locations, as well as from space to the Earth’s surface.

Andy Lapsa, Stoke co-founder and CEO, conveyed the company’s enthusiasm on collaborating with the DIU to further advance space capabilities.    

“Our unique reusable upper stage technology represents a significant leap forward in improving launch costs and launch availability through a flexible and responsive platform,” he said.

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USAF Nuclear Weapons Center Reorganizes Execution Directorates
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USAF Nuclear Weapons Center Reorganizes Execution Directorates

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, or AFNWC, has established the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems Directorate in line with its efforts to enhance support for the nuclear enterprise.

The U.S. Air Force Materiel Command said Tuesday the Sentinels Systems Directorate and the Minutemen III Systems Directorate merged on Aug. 27 to form the new directorate.

The ICBM systems directorate is tasked with providing responsive nuclear deterrence capability and sustainment for Air Force Global Strike Command. It will also oversee the LGM-30G Minuteman III and LGM-35A Sentinel programs.

Brig. Gen. William Rogers, the Air Force program executive officer for ICBMs, was officially entrusted with leading the new directorate during a ceremony at Hill AFB, Utah. The event was officiated by Maj. Gen. John Newberry, commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, and attended by Gen. Duke Richardson, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, and U.S. Rep. Blake Moore of Utah.

Rogers emphasized the importance of the merger: “Placing our ICBM programs under one directorate will help streamline processes, improving how we coordinate with our partners in the nuclear enterprise.”

Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, stressed that nuclear deterrence is still a top priority of the United States and its allies.

The Wash100 Award recipient also noted the significance of the new PEO position for the ICBMs, “This new PEO position reporting to me and the directorate realignment will support [the] successful restructuring of the Sentinel program and help the Air Force deliver its weapons systems on a schedule that ensures our ability to sustain the nuclear deterrent.”

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