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NOAA’s Independent Review Board Evaluates OSC’s Space Traffic Control Management Program
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NOAA’s Independent Review Board Evaluates OSC’s Space Traffic Control Management Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce has convened members of the newly established Independent Review Board to review and provide feedback on the Traffic Coordination System for Space, or TraCSS, program.

“Their decades of experience will help us avoid pitfalls and roadblocks to the success of our critical spaceflight safety program,” Richard DalBello, director of the Office of Space Commerce, said in a statement published Thursday.

TraCSS aims to provide pace space situational awareness — a.k.a. SSA — data and associated services to support private and civil space operators in spaceflight safety, space sustainability and international coordination.

The Independent Review Board comprises six experts who serve voluntarily to provide independent advice on matters related to space program management and SSA.

The board is headed by Susan Helms, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general and former Joint Forces Command commander for space at U.S. Strategic Command.

The board members are:

  • Terry Alfriend, the university distinguished professor at Texas A&M University
  • Kim Crider, a retired U.S. Air Force major general and former chief technology and innovation officer for the U.S. Space Force
  • T.S. Kelso, chief scientist and CTO of CelesTrak
  • David Madden, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former commander of GPS Wing within Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center
  • Charlie McGillis, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and vice president of the public sector of The Provenance Chain Network
NIST Solicits Comments on 1st Strategic Plan to Build Smart City Infrastructure
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NIST Solicits Comments on 1st Strategic Plan to Build Smart City Infrastructure

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is requesting industry feedback on a three-year strategic plan outlining research and development programs for strengthening federal smart cities initiatives across the U.S.

The Global Community Technology Challenge‘s first Strategic Plan for 2024 to 2026 centers on three key goals: establishing a research-based, scientific foundation for NIST’s Smart Cities Infrastructure program, expanding the scope and agenda for smart cities and enhancing public-private partnerships of smart city programs, NIST said Thursday.

NIST’s Smart Connected Systems Division manages the GCTC, a nationwide public-private partnership that aims to advance the integration of advanced cyber-physical systems and internet of things-based technologies to improve urban environments.

The strategic strategy is based on a consensus planning process organized by the NIST GCTC project office in collaboration with the heads of the 12 GCTC technology working groups representing over 220 cities and communities across the U.S.

Interested parties have until Feb. 29 to respond to the request for comments.

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FCC Takes Action to Address Orbital Debris Risks With Order on Reconsideration
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FCC Takes Action to Address Orbital Debris Risks With Order on Reconsideration

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted guidance on rules regarding orbital debris mitigation as part of efforts to promote space innovation.

FCC said Thursday the Order on Reconsideration provides satellite operators with guidance on complying with orbital debris mitigation policies implemented in 2020.

Through the order, the commission addresses concerns regarding the use of “free-flying” deployment devices and satellite maneuverability disclosure requirements and offers guidance on methods for performing a re-contact risk analysis.

FCC also clarifies how the rules apply to space stations that do not have licenses in the U.S.; the applicability of the 0.99 disposal reliability goal for large satellites; and the requirements for limiting the release of persistent liquids in space.

“In this decision we reaffirm the updates we made earlier to our orbital debris mitigation rules and offer additional guidance for satellite operators deploying their systems,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

She noted that the move seeks to reinforce the commission’s commitment to space sustainability, which is part of FCC’s Space Innovation agenda.

POC - 2024 Space Summit

Hear government leaders, space experts and industry executives discuss the latest space technologies, commercial investments and urgent issues facing the space domain at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Space Summit on March 5. Register here.

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GAO Report Cites Gaps in VA Oversight of Contracts Involving Certain Functions
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GAO Report Cites Gaps in VA Oversight of Contracts Involving Certain Functions

The Government Accountability Office found gaps in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ process for analyzing data regarding contracts that need additional government oversight.

A new GAO study published Thursday showed that VA did not fully implement guidance from the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy, resulting in unreliable and incomplete data on its obligations for service contracts.

The findings were based on GAO’s analysis of 12 contracts between 2018 and 2022 in the Federal Procurement Data System.

The report showed that VA lacked directions in terms of contract planning and oversight. It also did not provide relevant training and allocation of employees that could give heightened management attention to certain service functions, such as legal consultations and budget preparation support.

GAO recommended that VA specifically track and monitor special interest functions to improve the completeness of its contract inventory. The government watchdog also urged the secretary of veterans affairs to comply with OMB guidance and direct its procurement and human resources leaders to address workforce gaps in paying more attention to flagged service functions.

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NASA, Boeing Prepare for Starliner Spacecraft’s First Crew Flight Test
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NASA, Boeing Prepare for Starliner Spacecraft’s First Crew Flight Test

NASA and Boeing teams will be busy in the next couple of months preparing for the Starliner’s first crewed flight by mid-April 2024. The spacecraft will transport two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.

Under contracts with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission will mirror the activities of regular crew rotation flights for Boeing’s Starliner. Thus far, there has reportedly been significant progress in resolving technical issues NASA identified during its flight certification process.

On January 9, the agency tested the modified parachute system for the spacecraft over the Arizona desert. The primary test objectives were met based on the preliminary data analysis of the two-parachute test. NASA also confirmed the parachute deployment and a soft landing of the test article.

Meanwhile, NASA and Boeing have more work to do to complete the overall Crew Flight Test certification. The teams must put the finishing touches on the Starliner spacecraft and run simulations of operational conditions to rehearse each mission phase with the crew, flight controllers and ground operations teams.

Other tasks include fueling the spacecraft with propellants for its onboard thrusters for in-space maneuvering. The teams will stack the ULA Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft and subsequently roll them to the Space Launch Complex-41 pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Last, they will conduct detailed systems reviews resulting in a flight readiness assessment days before launch to verify the system and teams are ready. United Launch Alliance teams are preparing the Atlas V rocket hardware for processing and spacecraft integration. Boeing hopes to complete the Starliner assembly at the end of January.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are the NASA astronauts in Starliner’s first Crew Flight Test. They will stay on the space station for one to two weeks, then return to Earth and land in the southwest United States.

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Incrementium Advisors’ Mike Smith Reflects on Career, Offers Industry Advice
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Incrementium Advisors’ Mike Smith Reflects on Career, Offers Industry Advice

As managing director of Incrementium Advisors, Mike Smith leads the firm’s delivery of strategic and human capital consulting services to defense companies. He began his career in the U.S. Navy and holds over 20 years of private sector experience.

Smith recently participated in an interview with the Potomac Officers Club, in which he discussed his career background, revealed his leadership strategy and shared his advice for those entering the government contracting industry.

In this excerpt from the interview, Smith considers the importance of learning from setbacks:

“When the capture team misses out on a down-select, when the technical solution fails verification and when a colleague makes an honest mistake is the exact time for the leader to step up, step in and embrace those failures. The idea of committing unique failures and learning from them is essential to determining pathways to success. The ones who own the lessons are the same people who now need to be uplifted. They need light, not heat. If leadership’s response causes the team to disengage, I guarantee that the failure will be repeated.”

For more of Smith’s insights, read the full Executive Spotlight interview on the Potomac Officers Club website.

Do you want to participate in your own Executive Spotlight interview? Potomac Officers Club members have exclusive access to this brand-building opportunity and many more benefits. Click here to explore our membership options and discover which one is right for you.

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DARPA Accepting Abstracts for Space-WATCH Program’s Automated Data Fusion Technical Area
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DARPA Accepting Abstracts for Space-WATCH Program’s Automated Data Fusion Technical Area

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is soliciting abstracts for the second technical area of the Space-domain Wide Area Tracking and Characterization, or the Space-WATCH program.

Space-WATCH seeks to facilitate real-time persistent tracking of all objects in low Earth orbit to inform ground-based operators of any anomaly and enable them to plan and carry out appropriate actions, DARPA said Wednesday.

Real-Time Automated Data Fusion and Exploitation is the second technical area — TA2 — of the Space-WATCH program and aims to generate alerts on tactically actionable timescales and develop a level of space domain awareness that enables the protection of on-orbit assets in an evolving environment.

DARPA is considering multiple awards in the form of an other transaction authority agreement for the technical area and wants vendors to build data service applications designed to curate, deduce and fuse sensor data collected from data-as-a-service product offerings.

Abstracts are due Feb. 8.

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Register here to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Space Summit on March 5 and hear space experts, government officials and industry leaders discuss the latest technologies and trends in the space domain.

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Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Amazon Subjected to FTC Inquiry Into AI, Cloud Investments
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Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Amazon Subjected to FTC Inquiry Into AI, Cloud Investments

Five companies received compulsory orders from the Federal Trade Commission as part of an investigation into their direct investments and partnerships with generative artificial intelligence and cloud service providers.

The commission announced Thursday that it launched an inquiry involving Alphabet, the publicly traded entity of Google, as well as Amazon, Anthropic PBC, Microsoft and OpenAI to better understand their relationships with AI companies and their implications.

The FTC unanimously voted to launch the Section 6(b) inquiry in light of multibillion-dollar partnerships between Anthropic and Amazon, Anthropic and Google and Microsoft and OpenAI.

The agency seeks to understand their strategic rationale; practical implications including for products, governance and oversight rights; and competitive dynamics.

The companies have 45 days upon receipt of the order to respond to FTC.

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Barriers to Defense Contracting Persist for Startups
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Barriers to Defense Contracting Persist for Startups

Silicon Valley tech startups have recently grown more interested in federal contracts, but despite significant investments from venture capitalists, many of these companies have struggled to break into the defense contracting ecosystem, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

In fiscal year 2023, startups represented only 1 percent of the $411 billion in contracts issued by the U.S. Department of Defense. This percentage is a modest increase from the year before, during which startups received just half a percent of the department’s total contract spending, according to Govini data.

To confront the barriers making it difficult for startups to do business with the DOD, interested companies have engaged in lobbying efforts and are working to forge relationships with defense officials.

While progress has been slow, the DOD has taken multiple steps designed to open up contract opportunities to nontraditional partners.

Replicator, a drone acquisition project, offers a potential entry point for startups seeking access to the defense market. The DOD has also increased its focus on the Defense Innovation Unit, which is dedicated to accelerating the department’s adoption of industry technologies.

Thomas Browning, who is performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for mission capabilities, acknowledged the challenges of penetrating the existing ecosystem and highlighted the department’s efforts to open it up.

DIU Director Doug Beck expressed a desire for these goals to advance more quickly but noted that the DOD is now “absolutely on the right track.”

Some startups, however, have successfully overcome the challenges of booking federal contracts. Drone startup Skydio secured a $100 million Army award and Epirus, a developer of technology intended to take down drone swarms, received a $66 million Army contract last year.

NOAA, USPTO Agree to Expand Collaboration on Advancing Climate Technology
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NOAA, USPTO Agree to Expand Collaboration on Advancing Climate Technology

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have signed a memorandum of agreement to continue collaborating on advancing climate technology.

Under the partnership, NOAA and USPTO will codify their employee exchange program and strengthen collaborative programs, data-sharing and policies that support climate-related initiatives, NOAA said Wednesday.

As part of the employee exchange program, experts at the USPTO work with the NOAA Technology Partnerships Office to provide intellectual property training for the agency’s scientific workforce

In turn, a NOAA climate expert provides training to USPTO patent examiners who review patent applications for climate and environmental technologies.

“Together with the USPTO we can assure that intellectual property protection of new ideas will enhance the advancements and benefit all of the nation,” said Rick Spinrad, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

“Only by working with climate innovators — such as our incredible colleagues at NOAA — can we protect innovation with intellectual property and attract the investment needed to make a meaningful impact,” said Kathi Vidal, undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO.

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