The Government Accountability Office has recommended the Transportation Department’s secretary to call on the Federal Aviation Administration chief to analyze whether FAA’s regulatory structure is applicable to space support vehicles.

DOT should also suggest modifications to regulations to FAA if it finds that the regulatory framework is not suitable for such vehicles, GAO said in a report published Friday.

GAO made the recommendations after it conducted interviews with NASA and FAA officials as well as 37 officials from space support firms, legal experts and other industry stakeholders and found that FAA regulations pose a market challenge to commercial space companies that seek to receive payments for the use of space support vehicles in passenger and cargo transportation.

Some company officials told GAO that the standard aircraft certification process that FAA’s office of aviation safety implements for space support vehicles “is lengthy and not designed for the type of vehicles they would like to use.”

GAO said in a separate report published Nov. 22 that FAA should also clarify to spaceport operators the agency’s financial responsibility rules for commercial space launches.

The congressional budget watchdog made the suggestion after several spaceport operators said they were not sure whether to buy their own insurance for their property or whether a launch firm’s insurance policy would provide coverage for their property in the event of a space launch mishap.

According to the report, three of the 10 spaceport operators have both liability and property coverage to insure them from losses associated with launch accidents.

GAO also noted that space launch industry stakeholders have different views on the need for changes to the current insurance method, in which spaceport operators and launch companies can negotiate insurance coverage for spaceports through contracts.

The University of California, Berkeley center has recommended president-elect Donald Trump’s transition team team up with Silicon Valley in a push to bolster the U.S.’ cyber workforce, USA Today reported Friday.

Erin Kelley writes UC Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity also suggested the incoming transition team to establish a new agency for the development of new digital security strategies as part of five cybersecurity suggestions announced at a Bipartisan Policy Center discussion.

“The new administration has an important opportunity to change the way Americans think about cybersecurity,” said a report presented by Betsy Cooper, UC Berkeley executive director, and Steven Weber, UC Berkeley faculty director.

“We believe cybersecurity needs to be thought of as an existential risk to core American interests and values, rising close to the level of major armed conflict and climate change.”

Recommendations from the UC Berkeley team include the recruitment of cybersecurity professionals with an incentive of deferred student loans, addition of cybersecurity and computer literacy in the nation’s schools as well as the development of a Cyber Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s future effort to capture imagery of coronal mass ejections would cost $182 million from 2017 to 2021.

The Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act requires NOAA to capture images of earth-directed CMEs or the sun’s release of large quantities of matter and electromagnetic radiation, CBO said Tuesday.

The amount will be used to obtain a coronagraph, a spacecraft and a launch vehicle by 2022, according to the cost estimate report.

NOAA would need additional budget in 2022 and beyond to operate and maintain the spacecraft and coronagraph, CBO added.

The report stated the bill will work to codify multi-agency efforts under the National Space Weather Program and will not impose costs on state, local, or tribal governments.

CBO said enacting the bill would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in the four consecutive 10-year periods starting in 2027.

The Defense Department has opened a new call and outreach center that will provide confidential peer support to active duty national guardsmen, reservists, service members and family members via 24/7 chat, phone and text.

DoD said Tuesday the “BeThere” peer support call and outreach center will have staff members that include veteran service members as well as family members of veterans who will look to support callers on inquiries regarding career and general life problems.

“We are honored to support our service members and their families as they get connected to needed resources through the support of those who have also served our country,” said Wendy Lakso, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office’s director for outreach and education.

Triwest Healthcare Alliance oversees the administration of the BeThere Call and Outreach Center in 50 states and offers worldwide service via live chat, DoD noted.

“This unique population deserves and will receive our full focus in offering high-quality, easily accessible assistance,” added Dave McIntyre, TriWest Healthcare Alliance president and CEO.

The Government Accountability Office has recommended the National Nuclear Security Administration develop new standards for program management functions and a training program for program managers.

GAO said Monday it found a lack of policies for responsibility assignment, authority delegation and required competence for program managers, as well as a lack of training programs.

The government watchdog noted that federal internal control standards cover principles related to functions of program managers and the Project Management Institute’s program management standard is the generally accepted practice for most programs.

These standards require organizations to develop program plans, understand stakeholder demands and establish processes to oversee program management.

Internal control standards also call on management to train staff in the ways of both program and project management.

“In the absence of a training program for program managers, NNSA may have difficulty developing and maintaining a cadre of professional, effective and capable program managers,” GAO said.

“Addressing these gaps would help NNSA better achieve its critical missions and goals, and better maintain a cadre of professional, effective program managers,” GAO added.