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NASA Awards 6 Companies to Conduct Orbital Transfer Vehicle Studies
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Quantum's Ranger spacecraft. NASA selected six companies to conduct studies on orbital transfer vehicles.

NASA has awarded contracts with a total value of $1.4 million to six companies to conduct studies on cost-effective approaches to launching and deploying spacecraft to challenging orbits.

NASA Exploring New Launch & Delivery Approaches

The firm-fixed-price contracts will include nine studies tackling the potential of using orbital transfer vehicles for NASA missions. The selected companies and their studies are:

  • Arrow Science and Technology will leverage Quantum Space’s multi-mission Ranger spacecraft, which has rapid maneuverability and adaptability features, to deliver payloads to various destinations.
  • Blue Origin will conduct two studies on a new Glenn upper stage and Blue Ring, a mobile space platform with hybrid solar-electric and chemical propulsion capability for payload delivery, onboard computing and mission operations.
  • Firefly Aerospace will utilize its Elytra orbital vehicles, including Elytra Dark, for payload delivery, imaging, communications and cislunar space domain awareness.
  • Impulse Space will also conduct two studies involving its Mira and Helios space vehicles.
  • Rocket Lab will also provide two studies on its Neutron rocket and an orbital transfer vehicle based on the Explorer spacecraft. 
  • United Launch Services will evaluate how an extended-duration Centaur V upper stage, designed to transport multiple rideshare payloads to different locations, can support cislunar missions.

Once the studies are completed by mid-September, NASA will leverage the results to guide mission design, planning and procurement strategies for risk-tolerant payloads.

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GSA Adds Three AI Products to Multiple Award Schedule
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General Services Administration logo. GSA announced the addition of three AI products to its Multiple Award Schedule.

The General Services Administration has added three artificial intelligence products to its Multiple Award Schedule in line with the Trump administration’s commitment to advancing the U.S. global leadership in AI.

The products made available to federal, state and local government buyers through MAS, which offers volume discount pricing, are Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, GSA said Tuesday.

According to GSA Acting Administrator Michael Rigas, providing federal agencies with easy access to cutting-edge AI solutions from the private sector will help transform government operations, including back-office processes and the delivery of mission-critical services, while enhancing employee and citizen experiences.

Responsible AI Adoption

The action, which aligns with America’s AI Action Plan and the administration’s priority to accelerate the availability of AI tools across government, is expected to boost the federal government’s effort to responsibly adopt and scale transformative AI technologies to improve daily workflows and processes.

“GSA is proud to leverage our procurement expertise to advance the President’s AI Action Plan. Through GSA’s marketplace, agencies will be able to explore a wide range of AI solutions, from simple research assistants powered by large language models to highly tailored, mission-specific applications,” said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, a 2025 Wash100 Award recipient.

“As we procure these products, we’re focused on models that prioritize truthfulness, accuracy, transparency, and freedom from ideological bias, aligning with the Trump Administration’s policy that federally procured AI systems must prioritize truth and accuracy over ideological agendas,” he continued.

The agency is inviting all approved AI providers committed to responsible use and compliance with federal standards to join the GSA Schedule.

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DOD Seeks Proposals for Advanced Joint Sustainment Decision Tool
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Department of Defense seal. The DOD is seeking proposals for an advanced logistics support tool.

The Department of Defense has started seeking proposals for a logistics support platform to replace existing systems and address the challenges of modern warfare.

Utilizing Advanced Tech to Boost Military Logistics

The Defense Innovation Unit said the joint sustainment decision tool will leverage advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance logistics planning and implementation. It is expected to provide realistic courses of action options and identify potential risks, enabling commanders to make faster and more informed decisions in contested environments.

The tool must employ agentic workflows capable of reasoning and real-time data adaptation, ensuring AI-generated outputs align with the decision-maker’s objectives. It requires an intuitive interface and must be powered by mathematically and academically verifiable algorithms.

The DOD will prioritize AI-driven platforms capable of storing, tracking and distributing mission-critical resources such as munitions, bulk fuel, and fueling enablers like air tankers and trucks. These platforms must also support the evacuation of casualties and patients, chain-of-custody visibility, staging for medical materiel, and sourcing of critical spare parts.

The new platform will replace Joint Logistics Enterprise, or JLEnt, the current global logistics network used by the DOD to sustain global forces, which is not equipped to meet changes in strategic competition and large-scale combat operations.

Interested vendors can submit their responses until Aug. 14.

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Shawn Bratton Confirmed as Vice Chief of Space Operations
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Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton received Senate confirmation for the vice chief of space operations role.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed by voice vote Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton as the U.S. Space Force’s vice chief of space operations.

According to a congressional notice, Bratton, who was nominated to the role in mid-July, will also be promoted to the rank of general.

With his confirmation, Bratton replaces Gen. Michael Guetlein, who was named program manager for the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense shield initiative.

The GovCon Golden Dome conversation will be in full force at the 2025 Navy Summit in the lunch panel: “Supporting the Shield: Navy’s Role in the Golden Dome Architecture.” This industry-focused panel will bring enlightening insights about how Navy can support the multi-billion-dollar Golden Dome effort. Register for the action-packed GovCon conference now!

Who Is Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton?

Since July 2023, Bratton has been serving as deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs and requirements in the Space Force.

In this position, he serves as the Space Force’s chief strategy and resourcing officer responsible for the service branch’s strategies, requirements and budget.

Prior to this role, he was head of Space Training and Readiness Command within the Space Force.

Bratton’s previous positions include deputy director of operations within U.S. Space Command; deputy director of operations, plans and training for Joint Force Space Component Command; and commander of the 175th Cyberspace Operations Group.

The U.S. Air Force Weapons School graduate served as an enlisted member of the 107th Air Control Squadron, Arizona Air National Guard, prior to his commissioning.

Shawn Bratton Confirmed as Vice Chief of Space Operations
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Katie Arrington Issues Memo on DOD ICT Supply Chain Risk Management
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DOD Acting CIO Katie Arrington. Arrington released a memo on the Pentagon’s ICT supply chain risk management.

Katie Arrington, a previous Wash100 awardee who currently performs the duties of the Department of Defense’s chief information officer, has released a memorandum to help DOD better manage risks facing its information and communications technology supply chain.

In the June 5 memo, Arrington said she called for an update of the Requirements for the Acquisition of Digital Capabilities Guidebook concurrent with the Software Fast-Track, or SWFT, initiative development timeline.

DOD Software Fast-Track Initiative

In April, the acting CIO directed the establishment of the SWFT initiative to advance DOD’s adoption of best practices to transform the way it acquires, tests, authorizes and deploys secure software.

The 90-day SWFT initiative sought to define clear, specific cybersecurity and supply chain risk management requirements; secure information sharing mechanisms; rigorous software security verification processes; and federal government-led risk determinations to accelerate cybersecurity authorizations for secure, rapid software adoption.

According to Arrington, the update will build on 12 risk categories to facilitate the development of a comprehensive framework for managing ICT supply chain risks. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment developed the risk categories.

The risk categories are regulatory and compliance; manufacturing and supply; foreign ownership, control, or influence; political; technology and cybersecurity; financial; economic; product quality and design; human capital; environmental; transportation and distribution; and infrastructure.

Key ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Requirements for DOD Components

The memo outlines key ICT supply chain risk management requirements for DOD components deploying commercial off-the-shelf products.

These include prioritizing software integrity in accordance with OMB Memorandum 22-18; ensuring that vendors adhere to a section of the fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act concerning a prohibition on certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from Huawei, ZTE and Hytera, among others; and ensuring that suppliers adhere to the DOD issued Security Requirements Guides and any accompanying Security Technical Implementation Guides.

DOD components should also obtain artifacts as part of the security authorization process, including hardware and software inventory list; incident response plan; software certification test results; and supply chain risk management policy.

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Paige Hallen Hanson Confirmed as Environmental Protection Agency Chief Financial Officer
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Paige Hallen Hanson. The Senate confirmed Paige Hallen Hanson as the EPA's next CFO.

The Senate voted on Saturday 50-45 to confirm Paige Hallen Hanson as the next U.S. Environmental Protection Agency new chief financial officer. In her role, Hanson will manage EPA’s almost $100 billion allocation and its financial and resource management systems, the agency said in a Monday press release.

Commenting on her appointment, Hanson said she was grateful to lead the EPA’s financial operations.

“From budgeting to payments, performance measures to financial technology, the work of this talented team enables the critical mission EPA plays in protecting human health and the environment,” she remarked. 

Who Is Paige Hallen Hanson?

Before her confirmation, Hanson was EPA’s senior adviser to the administrator. Under the agency, she also served as the associate CFO for policy for two years and a senior adviser to the administrator for financial management. She was also a senior fellow at the Tax Foundation. Prior to that, she served as a CFO at the Common Sense Society. In 2017, she joined the Social Security Administration. As part of Organization for International Investment, which is now known as the Global Business Alliance, she was the director of government affairs. Hanson additionally served Congress for six years under the joint economic committee and the budget committee, and worked for Senators Dan Coats and Jeff Sessions.

She obtained an undergraduate degree in government and economics from Wofford College and has an MBA from Virginia Tech.

EPA’s Lee Zeldin Shares Thoughts

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin welcomed the appointment of Hanson.

“Paige brings a wealth of expertise in complex budgets and over two decades of government and financial experience to EPA. She understands the importance of stewarding every cent of taxpayer money and is uniquely and highly qualified to serve as EPA’s Chief Financial Officer,” Zeldin said. 

“I look forward to working with Paige in this new role to make EPA more transparent and efficient as we carry out our mission of protecting human health and the environment,” she added.

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DOD Under Secretary Orders DTIC Force Reduction Under AI-First Digital Transformation Initiative
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Department of Defense logo. The DOD is reorganizing the Defense Technical Information Center.

The Department of Defense is downsizing the Defense Technical Information Center to 40 civilian positions as part of an artificial intelligence-first digital transformation initiative, which is expected to result in annual savings of over $25 million and better capabilities for meeting critical mission needs.

Silvana Rubino-Hallman, announced as acting administrator on July 29, will implement the personnel reduction, conduct core mission review for all contractor personnel augmenting DTIC staff, direct “cognizant contracting officers” to issue any stop-work orders as appropriate and oversee DTIC’s digital transformation, according to a memorandum from Emil Michael, the under secretary of defense for research and engineering.

Reducing Bureaucracy at DTIC

The reduction-in-force aims to refocus DTIC on its core statutory mandate of administering a library of technical information, while improving the user experience and eliminating duplicative functions.

Civilian personnel not selected for retention will receive specific notices of reduction-in-force by Aug. 25 and be placed on administrative leave with full rights. Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said the decision is part of a broader reform effort to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy.

DTIC will also be realigned under the assistant secretary of defense for critical technologies as part of its reorganization.

According to the memo, DTIC’s outdated information systems are no longer adequate to support global research and development trends or integrate with data and intelligence platforms. The restructured center is expected to improve knowledge-sharing and better support deterrence-related R&D investments.

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MITRE Outlines Steps to Enable Rapid Innovation Adoption at DOD
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MITRE logo. MITRE published a new paper on defense acquisitions

MITRE identified challenges preventing the Department of Defense from rapidly adopting commercial innovations and provided recommendations that would accelerate capability delivery to warfighters in a new paper published Monday. Titled Breaking Barriers: Accelerating Innovation Adoption for Defense Priorities, the paper guides the Pentagon to streamline processes and better leverage commercial capabilities to achieve its technology priorities.

What DOD Can Do to Accelerate Innovation Adoption

The paper, published, recommends that the DOD start by identifying specific mission gaps and communicating them with industry. By focusing on mission problem needs rather than requirement statements, the government can empower industry to identify novel and creative solutions that address urgent and complex operational challenges.

MITRE also promotes maturing commercial technologies and exploring dual-use applications. According to the paper, existing industry technologies present an opportunity for the DOD to deliver capabilities at speed and scale. The DOD must facilitate a transparent dialogue between the problem owners and the technology providers and ensure collaboration throughout the development process to validate that a proposed solution remain aligned with mission needs.

MITRE also advised the DOD to reduce barriers to data and facilities that industry can use to innovate. The organization explained that non-traditional industry partners often face limited or no access to classified computing resources classified or mission-relevant data. The DOD can address the issue by implementing best practices, such as applying a modular open systems approach and developing a full system-level digital twin.

Finally, the paper said the DOD must fast-track the procurement process by more widely utilizing flexible and agile acquisition or transition methods, such as other transaction agreements.

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NIST Releases SP 800-63-4 Revision to Enhance Digital Identity Security
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NIST logo. NIST released Revision 4 of SP 800-63-4, or the Digital Identity Guidelines.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released the fourth revision of Special Publication 800-63-4, or the Digital Identity Guidelines.

NIST said Monday the new revision is intended to address the evolving digital landscape that has taken shape since 2017, the last time the SP was revised.

Digital Identity Guidelines Proposed Changes

Revision four introduces updated guidelines defining the process and technical requirements to meet digital identity assurance standards for proofing, authentication and federation. This includes changes to security and privacy requirements and strategies that can be adopted to make digital identity systems more user-friendly. Furthermore, the entire suite of documents has undergone significant content revisions.

What Is Special Publication 800-63-4?

SP 800-63-4 is a set of guidelines designed to ensure the security and privacy of people using government services. The Digital Identity Guidelines manage and outline specific technical requirements for identity proofing, authentication, enrollment, management processes, authentication protocols and federation for government information system users, including employees and contractors. The guidelines also provide recommendations, although they are not meant to restrict the use or development of external standards.

Before the release of revision four, the NIST sought public comments on its draft version. The draft included input in 2023 by stakeholders across private industry, federal agencies, advocacy groups and the broader public.

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Trump’s Bill Makes Big Beautiful Investments in Naval Technologies
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An image of a F-35C with two LRASM munitions. Trump's Bill Makes Big Beautiful Investments in Naval Technologies

Naval aircraft, unmanned systems and munitions, not just shipbuilding, are set to benefit from the $150 billion appropriated for DOD spending in the “One Big Beautiful Bill” reconciliation legislation signed into law.

The U.S. Navy could receive $288 million of the $400 million provided for Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile if lawmakers get what they want, according to Breaking Defense. LRASM is a precision guided munition capable of being deployed from aircraft or surface platforms that can penetrate sophisticated air defense environments and stop surface threats at long range. The One Big Beautiful Bill provided $400 million for LRASM, but didn’t specify how it would be divided among the U.S. armed services.

So what are the other naval technologies set for investment from the One Big Beautiful Bill? Let’s dive into the legislation.

Learn more about emerging naval technologies at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26! Discover new naval unmanned system requirements at the Opportunities and Challenges in Delivering UXV to the Navy. Hear directly from Capt. Joel Uzarski, NavalX director, during his fireside chat on how the Navy is getting emerging technologies to sailors and marines faster. Sign up today for this highly-anticipated GovCon conference!

Navy Long Range Strike Aircraft

The One Big Beautiful Bill provided the U.S. Navy with $500 million for the development, procurement and integration of long range strike aircraft. What makes this interesting is that this funding line is not associated with a publicly-known program of record, Breaking Defense reports.

What are some other naval aircraft investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill?

  • The Navy’s new F/A-XX fighter aircraft received $750 million, a big boost for a program at risk of cancellation
  • $270 million for the development, procurement and integration of U.S. Marine Corps unmanned combat aircraft
  • $160 million to accelerate Bell-Boeing V-22 tiltrotor nacelle reliability and safety improvements
  • $100 million to speed up production of the Boeing MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueller
  • $20 million for upgrades to U.S. Marine Corps utility helicopters

Naval Nuclear Weapon Investments

Naval nuclear weapons also benefit greatly from the One Big Beautiful Bill.

  • $2 billion to speed up the development, procurement and integration of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, which was first proposed by President Trump in 2018, according to the Congressional Research Service.
  • $400 million to accelerate the development of Trident D5LE2, a Trident life extension program. The Lockheed Martin Trident II is a submarine-launched ballistic missile that serves as the sea-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad
  • $148 million for expansion of Trident II D5 missile motor production

What’s Next For DOD One Big Beautiful Bill Money?

So what is next for DOD appropriations from the One Big Beautiful Bill? The department has until Aug. 22 to provide lawmakers with an implementation strategy, according to Breaking Defense. Congressional defense committees, of course, have their own suggestions and hope DOD follows them as many funding lines in the bill were associated with broad categories and not specific programs.

Be the first to learn how the U.S. Navy plans to spend its One Big Beautiful Bill money at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26! Hear directly from Vice Adm. Brad Skillman, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources, N8, during his keynote address. Learn about partnership opportunities at the Accelerating Naval Capabilities: Partnering with Industry for Speed to Fleet panel. Secure your seat now for this elite GovCon conference specifically designed for GovCon technology professionals!

Trump's Bill Makes Big Beautiful Investments in Naval Technologies
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