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Commerce Dept Awards $285M to SRC for New Manufacturing Institute
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Commerce Dept Awards $285M to SRC for New Manufacturing Institute

The Semiconductor Research Corporation Manufacturing Consortium Corporation has won funding valued at $285 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce to construct and operate a new manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday the investment is part of a $1 billion total funding for the establishment of the CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute, known as the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins USA, or SMART USA. The investment is intended to boost the semiconductor industry through collaborative research, design and development of digital twins.

Goals of CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute

The new SMART USA institute is meant to strengthen the semiconductor industry by reinforcing the development and utilization of digital twins. Through the use of digital twins, the institute aims to optimize the design, production and testing process of semiconductor chips.

SMART USA is set to become part of a network of 17 institutes working to make U.S. manufacturing more competitive and to strengthen research and development.

SMART USA Objectives

The new institute aspires to foster partnerships between stakeholders and provide access to physical resources and novel digital capabilities needed to tackle digital twins challenges. The main goals of SMART USA are to accelerate the development and deployment of semiconductor technologies by lowering U.S. chip development and manufacturing costs by 35 percent and shortening the development cycle by 30 percent. It also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent and train over 100,000 workers and students on digital twin technology.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, said, “With new digital twin capabilities, America is fostering unparalleled opportunities to collaborate with experts and researchers anywhere in the world to develop the next frontier of technological advancements in the semiconductor industry.”

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NSF Funds MITRE-Led Dynamic Spectrum Sharing R&D
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NSF Funds MITRE-Led Dynamic Spectrum Sharing R&D

The National Science Foundation has extended a $10.5 million funding for a team led by non-profit national security advisory firm MITRE to conduct dynamic spectrum sharing research and development.

The team, dubbed “SPARKIE,” will initially establish an experimental dynamic spectrum-sharing zone at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory in California that would shield radio telescope operations from interference of local spectrum users, such as cellular devices, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, MITRE said.

Portal to Next-Generation Connectivity

The non-profit firm added that as research on dynamic spectrum advance, the technology’s sharing could usher in next-generation connectivity resources for national security and critical infrastructure.

SPARKIE’s experiments, which will involve spectrum research facilities, will design and develop a toolkit for radio dynamic spectrum sharing environments.

The MITRE-led team is composed of spectrum engineers, academics and radio astronomy researchers from the non-profit research organization SETI Institute and five educational institutions: Northeastern University; University of Texas, Austin; University of Utah; University of Colorado at Boulder; and University of California, Berkeley.

Remedy for Radio Spectrum Shortfall 

NSF is funding the team through its National Radio Dynamic Zones program, which John Chapin, the foundation’s special advisor for spectrum, said will help solve the radio spectrum shortfall due to the rapid rise of wireless communications and other uses. 

“NSF is supporting this team to test innovative new ways to increase spectrum availability for diverse use cases, such as sharing spectrum between wireless communications networks and radio telescope facilities,” he added. 

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GSA Offers Update on Multiple Award Schedule Pricing RFI
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GSA Offers Update on Multiple Award Schedule Pricing RFI

The General Services Administration received 507 industry responses to a request for information on how to better align multiple award schedule, or MAS, pricing with commercial practices.

In April, GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, or FAS, issued the RFI to support its assessment of existing agency practices related to performing price analysis and determining “fair and reasonable” prices on MAS contracts.

The agency said Wednesday key takeaways from the RFI include minimizing barriers related to offering identical services and products across multiple special item numbers, or SINs, to improve sales opportunities, updating solicitation instructions to prioritize the use of data already available within the government and expanding the Transactional Data Reporting initiative as an alternative to legacy pricing disclosure requirements.

How GSA Will Implement Feedback

According to GSA, FAS will make changes to the MAS solicitation based on industry comments, including reaffirming that vendors can offer identical products and services across multiple SINs if the items are within scope.

FAS also plans to seek public feedback on planned modifications to MAS pricing practices and policies, including draft revisions to solicitation price proposal instructions that streamline documentation requirements and a new draft FAS policy and procedure implementing GSAR case 2020-G510, FSS Economic Price Adjustment.

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NASA Wants Blue Origin, SpaceX to Deliver Heavy Cargo to the Moon
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NASA Wants Blue Origin, SpaceX to Deliver Heavy Cargo to the Moon

NASA wants SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop large cargo landers and deliver payloads to the Moon for the Artemis missions. The space agency said Tuesday that the companies will be awarded additional work under existing contracts to mature their designs for the cargo versions of SpaceX’s and Blue Origin’s crewed human landing systems. 

In a statement, Stephen D. Creech, assistant deputy associate administrator for technical at NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office, explained the mission benefits of having two lunar lander providers.

“The Artemis campaign is a collaborative effort with international and industry partners,” he shared. “Having two lunar lander providers with different approaches for crew and cargo landing capability provides mission flexibility while ensuring a regular cadence of Moon landings for continued discovery and scientific opportunity.” 

Artemis Cargo Landers

While NASA revealed in 2023 that it selected Blue Origin and SpaceX to build crewed human landing systems—or HLS—it was not until January 2024 that the space agency mentioned that the companies were also working on the cargo landers. 

In a media call on Jan. 9, Amit Kshatriya, deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program, shared that the companies were “applying the work they’re doing on the human-rated versions of the landing vehicles to develop a cargo variant.”

NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton added in a statement to SpaceNews that work on the cargo landers was done under the HLS contracts awarded to Blue Origin in May 2023 and the “Option B” award SpaceX secured in November 2022. 

In April, the agency further confirmed that the companies are creating the cargo variant of the landers and added that the spacecraft will need to be capable of delivering 26,000–33,000 pounds of payload on the Moon. 

NASA already has plans for at least two missions to land large cargo on the lunar surface. The first mission will see the SpaceX Starship cargo lander carry the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s pressurized rover to the Moon as soon as fiscal 2032. Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon will transport a lunar habitat as soon as fiscal 2033.

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DIU Solicits Solution for Virtual Adversary Integration
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DIU Solicits Solution for Virtual Adversary Integration

The Defense Innovation Unit seeks a commercial solution that would enable the Department of Defense’s Cyber Mission Force to integrate realistic and automated cyber adversaries into its training platform.

The desired technology is expected to advance CMF’s objective of developing and practicing the necessary skills for defensive cyber operations missions. The solution should also allow DOD training planners to build an offensive cyber campaign system with virtual actors, DIU said.

DIU’s Advanced Solution Requirements

Specifically, the solution must allow planners to control the automated adversaries’ elements, such as objectives and stealth levels. The system should also include agents that can adapt to their environment and decide based on certain goal criteria.

In addition, the solution should feature an intuitive graphical user interface to support the easy management of adversary behavior and auditing of the virtual adversaries’ actions.

The government envisions that the technology could replicate the actions and decisions of advanced persistent threat groups and eliminate the need for trained human operators as adversaries during training scenarios, thus cutting down manpower costs.

Ready for Product Deployment

DIU will prioritize proposals that demonstrate product maturity and deployment validation but partial solutions capable of addressing specific requirements would be considered. Responses will be accepted no later than Dec. 6.

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CDAO AI Implementation Plan Called Into Question by DOD OIG
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CDAO AI Implementation Plan Called Into Question by DOD OIG

The Office of the Inspector General within the Department of Defense has found delays in the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s development of an implementation plan for the DOD’s AI Adoption Strategy and AI policy.

Released on Monday, an IG report on the effectiveness of CDAO’s AI services and governance noted that the delays in issuing key foundational documents caused ambiguity in the CDAO’s roles and responsibilities for DOD data, analytics and AI and confusion between the CDAO and the DOD Chief Information Office.

According to DOD Inspector General Robert Storch, the lack of clarity may impact the DOD’s AI implementation and prevent the agency from harnessing the full potential of the technology.

What CDAO Can Do in Response

To address the issue, the report urged CDAO to complete and publish an implementation plan to guide the collaboration between the office and the DOD components on the creation of strategic performance measures that will help achieve the DOD’s AI goals. The OIG also recommended coordinating with the director of administration and management to review existing AI guidance, determine which should be removed or incorporated into the DOD AI policy, and then approve the AI policy guidance.

The report is part of the OIG’s series of oversight work focused on the DOD’s use of artificial intelligence.

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DOD, Commerce to Support Minority Business Enterprises
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DOD, Commerce to Support Minority Business Enterprises

The departments of Defense and Commerce have signed an agreement to leverage their resources, networks, and expertise to bolster the involvement of minority business enterprises, or MBEs, in the defense industrial base.

DOD said Tuesday the memorandum of understanding it signed with Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency seeks to encourage the participation of MBEs in defense supply chains, foster collaboration, use data-driven insights to help MBEs capitalize on defense procurement opportunities and provide them access to training and development opportunities.

“This MOU represents a significant step in expanding access to defense contracts for minority business enterprises, ensuring that our supply chain is diverse, resilient, and capable of addressing the demands of our national defense,” said William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

“By working with MBDA, we can tap into a broader talent base of underrepresented businesses that bring unique perspectives and solutions, which ultimately contribute to a more robust and innovative industrial base,” added the 2024 Wash100 awardee.

The agreement will also help connect MBEs to the Mentor-Protege Program, APEX Accelerators and other DOD programs to help them navigate the defense procurement process.

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Hughes Awarded US Army Contract to Deploy 5G Network
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Hughes Awarded US Army Contract to Deploy 5G Network

Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of EchoStar, has received a $6.5 million contract to deploy a 5G open radio access network, or ORAN, prototype for the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. 

The 5G ORAN prototype featuring a RAN Intelligent Controller, or RIC, will allow the Army to examine RIC-based applications for military networks and explore communications for mobile command posts, EchoStar announced Tuesday. The project is a collaboration between the U.S. Army, the DOD chief information officer and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. 

Dan Rasmussen, senior vice president of the North American enterprise at Hughes Network Systems, said, “This contract award is an important step forward for the U.S. Department of Defense’s efforts to develop next-generation communications networks that can empower innovative applications.”

The 5G Open RAN Prototype 

As the prime contractor for the 5G Open RAN prototype, Hughes will demonstrate, test and integrate an RIC in the Army’s test network. Hughes will also incorporate ORAN infrastructure, engineering acumen and 5G spectrum from EchoStar company Boost Mobile.

The prototype’s equipment will first be installed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to operate a temporary network for testing purposes and is expected to be implemented into Hughes’ commercial network following the initial test. 

“The EchoStar team is looking forward to collaborating with the U.S. Army to test and evaluate specific military use cases that leverage 5G ORAN and the RAN Intelligent Controller,” noted Rasmussen. “The Fort Bliss program will pave the way for further RIC exploration, enhancing network performance for both U.S. government and commercial applications.”

The Open RAN prototype is also designed to reach significant strategic milestones that support fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act requirements for DOD efforts to reshape the supply chain.

EchoStar’s Recent Work With the Military

In August, EchoStar companies Hughes Network Systems and Boost Mobile tested a 5G network designed to aid the U.S. Navy’s primary, alternate, contingency and emergency communication plans.

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Clayton Turner Selected as STMD Associate Administrator at NASA
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Clayton Turner Selected as STMD Associate Administrator at NASA

Clayton Turner, former director of NASA’s Langley Research Center, has been named associate administrator for space technology mission directorate at NASA. The appointment, announced by NASA Administrator and Wash100 Award winner Bill Nelson, will take effect immediately.

NASA said Monday Turner, who’s been serving as STMD associate administrator in an acting capacity since July, will resume his responsibility of overseeing the strategic planning, management and execution of the agency’s technology maturation and demonstration programs.

Clayton Turner’s NASA Career

Turner’s NASA career spans 30 years, with more than 16 spent at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He joined Langley in 2012 as center chief engineer and was gradually elevated to director of engineering, associate center director and deputy center director. The executive was appointed director of the center in 2019 and served in this leadership role for more than five years.

He assumed the acting associate administrator role of the STMD after the retirement of Kurt Vogel. Dawn Schaible, deputy director of the Glenn Research Center at the time, was selected to succeed Turner and lead the Langley Center as acting director.

Turner was instrumental in various NASA projects, including the Earth Science Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation Project and the flight test of the Orion Launch Abort System.

Bill Nelson on Clayton Turner

Nelson stated, “Under Turner’s skilled and steady hand, the Space Technology Mission Directorate will continue to do what it does best: help NASA push the boundaries of what’s possible and drive American leadership in space. I look forward to what STMD will achieve under Turner’s direction.”

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NIST Names New Communications Technology Laboratory Director
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NIST Names New Communications Technology Laboratory Director

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has appointed Melissa Midzor as director of its Communications Technology Laboratory. Her responsibilities include setting standards and creating precision and simulation instruments to measure capabilities and support emerging wireless technologies’ commercialization.

Immediately before her appointment, Midzor served as chief of the institute’s spectrum technology and research division, NIST said Monday. She joined NIST in 2018 as program manager for the institute’s National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network, a multi-agency partnership of government and commercial testing facilities. 

NAVAIR Experience

Before working at NIST, Midzor was the division director for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Electronic Warfare Integrated Laboratories. 

Laurie Locascio, NIST director and undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, described Midzor as “an invaluable asset,” with her practical background and academic record. “Her experience is crucial as we promote innovation in advanced communications while working to ensure that our communications systems are reliable, private and secure,” Locascio said.

Midzor has a PhD in physics, specialized in nanotechnology, from the California Institute of Technology and dual bachelor degrees in physics and sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.

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