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L3Harris-Made RS-25 Engine for NASA’s Artemis V Undergoes Hot Fire Test
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L3Harris Technologies logo. L3Harris is manufacturing the RS-25 engine for NASA's Artemis missions

L3Harris Technologies, in partnership with NASA, has test-fired the second RS-25 engine that will power the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket for the Artemis V space mission.

The test, conducted at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, validated the engine’s performance and reliability, L3Harris said Wednesday.

What Did the RS-25 Engine Test Demonstrate?

The hot fire test lasted for about 500 seconds, exactly how long engines must fire during a real space mission. The engine also reached 111 percent of its rated power level during the firing.

Led by NASA, the test evaluated engine performance, durability and reliability. It marks the second flight-ready engine produced using modern manufacturing methods, including 3D printing, reducing production costs by 30 percent, according to L3Harris.

“As we approach America’s 250th anniversary next year, it’s fitting that we’re advancing the Artemis program that embodies the pioneering spirit of our nation,” said Kristin Houston, president of space propulsion and power systems at L3Harris subsidiary Aerojet Rocketdyne. “By leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, we’re delivering engines that are more cost-effective while maintaining the power and reliability needed to propel Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond.”

L3Harris and NASA also conducted a full-duration hot fire test of the engine in June to evaluate its launch performance.

What Makes the RS-25 Engine Critical to Artemis?

The RS-25 is a liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen-powered staged-combustion engine that evolved from the Space Shuttle main engine. The RS-25 is expected to deliver 512,300 pounds of vacuum thrust at 109 percent power.

Each SLS launch uses four RS-25 engines that collectively generate about two million pounds of thrust to propel NASA’s Orion spacecraft toward the moon. The agency has already completed installation of the first of 24 planned RS-25 engines for future Artemis missions.

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SBA Clears Backlog in Veteran Small Business Certification Program
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Kelly Loeffler. The SBA administrator commented on clearing the backlog of VetCert applications.

The Small Business Administration has cleared the backlog of Veteran Small Business Certification, or VetCert, applications, allowing veteran entrepreneurs to compete for federal contracts without delay. 

SBA said Tuesday pending applications dropped from more than 2,700 to zero, and average processing times are now just 12 days.

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said veterans deserve full support when starting and growing businesses.

“With the 2,700 case backlog cleared, veteran job creators finally have the chance to compete for contracts in the federal marketplace – and to access the opportunities they deserve,” Loeffler added.

Under Loeffler’s leadership, SBA restored full staffing and funding for the VetCert Program, eliminated the backlog and returned the socially disadvantaged contracting goal to the statutory level of 5 percent.

What Is the VetCert Program?

Established by Congress, VetCert certifies veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses for federal contracting. The program serves as a dedicated onramp for veteran entrepreneurs seeking to compete for set-aside and sole-source contracts.

VetCert remains fully operational and continues to process all applications amid the government shutdown.

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FDA Names Richard Pazdur as Director of Center for Drug Evaluation, Research
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Richard Pazdur. The FDA has appointed the Oncology Center of Excellence head as CDER director.

The Food and Drug Administration has appointed Richard Pazdur, the founding director of the agency’s Oncology Center of Excellence, as the new head of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

A 26-year veteran of the FDA, Pazdur has held multiple leadership roles in oncology and drug evaluation. He retains oversight of the Oncology Center of Excellence pending the appointment of a successor.

FDA Names Richard Pazdur as Director of Center for Drug Evaluation, Research

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What Is Richard Pazdur Known For?

Since joining the FDA in 1999, Pazdur has helped shape the agency’s oncology regulatory framework, emphasizing faster and more coordinated review of cancer therapies.

He also led several initiatives aimed at modernizing oncology oversight, including Project Orbis, which facilitates international coordination of cancer drug reviews; Project Facilitate, which assists oncology professionals in completing expanded access requests for cancer patients; and Project Renewal, which updates labeling for older oncology drugs.

“Dr. Pazdur is a true regulatory innovator who will help guide our broader agenda to modernize the agency and streamline the approval process,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. “He has a track record of success and is an impressive forward-thinking scientist.”

What Are Pazdur’s Priorities as CDER Director?

“I’m honored to lead CDER at a time when the FDA is achieving long-sought regulatory reforms,” he said. “I look forward to working closely with Dr. Makary and the medical experts he’s assembled to help our country reach its peak in drug development.”

As CDER director, Pazdur will oversee the center responsible for evaluating the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter and prescription drugs. This oversight extends beyond traditional medicines to include products like fluoride toothpaste, antiperspirants, dandruff shampoos and sunscreens, all of which are classified as drugs under CDER’s authority.

Before joining the FDA, Pazdur was a professor of medicine at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. He also served on the faculty of Wayne State University.

Pazdur earned his medical degree from Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine and completed clinical training at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center and the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics. He has authored more than 800 papers, book chapters and abstracts, and two textbooks on medical oncology.

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Oklo Secures DOE Approval for A3F Nuclear Safety Design Agreement
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Oklo logo. Oklo secured DOE approval for NSDA for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility at Idaho National Laboratory.

The Department of Energy has approved Oklo’s nuclear safety design agreement, or NSDA, for its Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility, or A3F, at Idaho National Laboratory. 

Oklo said Tuesday the facility, which was selected to participate in DOE’s Advanced Nuclear Fuel Line Pilot Projects, received approval in just under two weeks, marking the first NSDA under the program.

Why Is the NSDA Approval Significant for Oklo’s A3F? 

According to Oklo, the approval from DOE’s Idaho Operations Office demonstrates a new authorization pathway that could expand U.S. industrial capacity, strengthen national energy security and accelerate production scale-up for advanced nuclear fuel. 

“This approval marks clear progress toward demonstrating how we can repurpose used nuclear fuel to power the next generation of clean energy reactors,” said Jacob DeWitte, co-founder and CEO of Oklo. “Advanced fuel fabrication and recycling technologies represent a significant unlock for our business, addressing fuel-supply challenges while transforming fuel economics and creating new revenue opportunities.”

The department’s authorization process also provides an expedited route for developers to build and operate nuclear fuel production lines for research, development and demonstration. 

“Approval of the NSDA for Oklo’s Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility is an important step forward,” said Robert Boston, manager of the DOE Idaho Operations Office. “We’re excited for companies selected for the Fuel Line Pilot Program to demonstrate how the United States can safely and efficiently scale the next generation of nuclear fuel manufacturing.”

A3F will fabricate fuel for Oklo’s Aurora-INL reactor, part of DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program.

What Does Oklo Do?

Oklo develops fast fission power plants, works on a domestic supply chain for radioisotopes and advances nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into energy. 

The advanced nuclear technology company received a site use permit from DOE for a commercial advanced fission plant, was granted fuel from INL and submitted a combined license application for an advanced reactor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Oklo is also collaborating with DOE and U.S. national labs on advanced fuel recycling technologies.

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Air Force Seeks White Papers for Counter-Air Missile Program
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AFLCMC seal. The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has issued a request for white papers for CAMP.

The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has issued a request for white papers for the Counter-Air Missile Program, or CAMP.

What Is CAMP Aiming to Develop?

According to a presolicitation notice published Friday on SAM.gov, the effort aligns with the Air Force Armament Directorate’s M-Series Modular Weapon approach and aims to develop a low-cost, high-volume, open, modular counter‑air missile system. The initial system will demonstrate ground-launch capability, with future iterations potentially adapted for air-to-air applications. It is also intended to become part of the Affordable Mass Munitions portfolio.

Phase 1 will focus on developing, integrating and testing system prototypes using incremental capability cycles, culminating in a ground-launched prototype and a complete Product-Level Technical Data Package ready for high-rate production. Phase 1 is expected to last 24 months. Phase 2 would transition the ground-launched CAMP system into official research, development, test and evaluation, or RDT&E, and production.

The program aims to utilize high technology readiness level, or TRL, components to minimize new development needs and achieve a first flight test within nine months. It targets an annual production rate of 1,000 to 3,500 units, while keeping the CAMP system all-up round, or AUR, cost below $500,000 for a minimum production of 1,000 units.

Responses to the presolicitation will be accepted until Dec. 2.

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ITI Urges Policy Action to Address Agentic AI Risks, Strengthen Governance
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ITI's logo. ITI offered policy recommendations for managing agentic AI risks in a new paper

The global technology trade association the Information Technology Industry Council, a.k.a. ITI, is calling for proactive policy measures to address the vulnerabilities of agentic AI, a new class of artificial intelligence that operates autonomously with multi-step reasoning and planning.

While the technology promises to boost productivity and improve cybersecurity efficiency, ITI warned in a new paper that it also introduces new risks. Titled Understanding Agentic AI, the paper also offers policy recommendations to reduce the risks associated with agentic AI.

ITI Urges Policy Action to Address Agentic AI Risks, Strengthen Governance

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“Agentic AI represents an evolution in how AI technology supports people, organizations, and business processes across the board,” said Courtney Lang, vice president of policy at ITI. “We’re still learning about the impacts of agentic AI, and that’s why dialogue between industry and government is so critical. ITI’s Understanding Agentic AI helps inform this crucial conversation by breaking down the technology and offering initial policy considerations to support the responsible development and adoption of agentic AI systems.”

What Are the Vulnerabilities Associated With Agentic AI?

The paper identifies jagged intelligence as a potential risk. Although agentic AI is trained on huge amounts of data, highly capable models fail unpredictably in basic tasks. Jaggedness could lead to cascading errors in automated workflows.

Agentic AI systems, like other AI systems, are vulnerable to a wide range of exploits. The technology can become targets of prompt injection, data poisoning and unauthorized tool access, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate automated agents.

Its ability to make autonomous decisions also raises challenges for accountability when outcomes cause harm or deviate from human intent. The paper also warns about automation bias, where users develop excessive trust in models, leading to poor decision making and loss of essential skills.

What Policies Can Promote Responsible Development & Deployment of AI?

ITI recommends a risk-based, context-specific regulatory approach that adapts existing AI frameworks, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework, to agentic systems.

Policymakers are urged to:

  • Establish national AI strategies to guide responsible adoption.
  • Enforce transparency throughout the AI value chain.
  • Implement privacy-enhancing technologies and data governance standards.
  • Encourage open, industry-led protocols for interoperability and security.
  • Support workforce readiness and cross-sector collaboration to assess emerging risks.
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Catalyst Accelerator Launches New Cohort to Develop AI Tools for Space Force ISR Operations
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Artificial intelligence. The Catalyst Accelerator has selected six startups to join the 16th cohort.

The Catalyst Accelerator has selected six technology startups to participate in its 16th cohort and explore artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for the U.S. Space Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

Backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, the program focuses on developing AI and ML systems that can improve automation, data fusion and decision support for Space Force Delta 7, which serves as the program’s official problem sponsor, the accelerator said Friday.

Catalyst Accelerator Launches New Cohort to Develop AI Tools for Space Force ISR Operations

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What Is the Objective of the Catalyst Accelerator’s 16th Cohort?

The 16th Catalyst Accelerator cohort will explore how AI-driven tools can speed up the tasking, collection, processing and analysis of intelligence data across multiple domains. Participants will work with government and industry experts to refine technologies that enhance situational awareness and operational decision-making.

Which Companies Were Chosen for the 16th Cohort?

The six companies chosen to join the new cohort are:

  • Aegnix – Developer of swarm-based AI orchestration platforms for rapid model creation and deployment of AI agents.
  • Kestrel – Provides autonomous sensing-as-a-service through a multi-agent AI platform for networking and orchestrating sensors.
  • Lunar Station – Delivers advanced geospatial analytics and simulation tools for austere environments, including space and underwater missions.
  • Soresu – Developer of applied AI systems that transform distributed defense systems into adaptive, learning networks to maintain sensor connectivity and situational awareness in degraded conditions.
  • Tempest Droneworx – Specializes in data fusion software and autonomous drone operations for ISR and rapid response.
  • Worldscape Technologies – Offers a scalable data fabric and AI environment that integrates simulation and decision-support functions.

How Will the 16th Cohort Be Structured?

The AI/ML orchestrator cohort will run from January 12 to April 14, 2026, at the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The seven-week program includes two in-person residency weeks per month, pairing small businesses with government and industry mentors. The program will conclude with a demonstration day, where participants will present their technologies to military, industry and investor representatives.

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Michael Duffey: DOD to Accelerate Weapons Procurement But Will Not Sacrifice Cost or Performance
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Michael Duffey, under secretary at DOD. Duffey clarified that the DOD will balance speed with capability cost and performance

The Department of Defense is pushing to accelerate weapons procurement but Michael Duffey, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, clarified in a report by Breaking Defense that speed will not override other factors, such as cost and performance.

“We’re continually going to be dependent on the judgment of program leaders who are executing these programs to understand where does the need for speed balance with the risk that we would undertake [for the] cost and or performance of the system,” the official said.

How Will the Pentagon’s Acquisition Overhaul Work?

The DOD has been making changes to its acquisition enterprise, disestablishing the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System and shifting from program executive offices to portfolio acquisition executives.

Each PAE will be in charge of balancing funding allocations to different priorities with trade requirements, Duffey explained.

“There’s certainly no question about the emphasis on speed, but recognizing that there’s a need for judgment and flexibility in that triangle of cost, schedule, performance,” he added. “One thing we’re doing around here nowadays is we’re now saying ‘schedule, performance, cost’ instead of ‘cost, schedule, performance,’ just as a way of emphasizing the fact that speed is priority amongst us.”

The Pentagon also recently released a 39-page strategy document that would eliminating the Analysis of Alternatives, or AOA, and other similar studies. Lawmakers use AOA for oversight and to support funding decisions.

The strategy document explained that the process of AOA takes a long time and called for a faster way to assess commercial technologies and competing prototypes.

Duffey also said exceptions will remain for large-scale development programs that warrant additional analyses like AOA.

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Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp Takes on NGA Director Role
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Michele Bredenkamp. The lieutenant general took on the role of director of NGA.

Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp assumed the role of director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency during a change of directorship ceremony at NGA headquarters.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Monday the event was attended by Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas and Bradley Hansell, under secretary of defense for intelligence and security.

Who Is Bredenkamp Succeeding?

The ceremony also recognized Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, the outgoing NGA director, with the George Washington Spymaster Award for his leadership across 30 years of public service.

Whitworth, a four-time Wash100 awardee, noted that Bredenkamp is inheriting an agency at the height of its capabilities, but emphasized that there is still much more work ahead.

“I could not be more confident in NGA’s future. Thank you for stepping up to the plate, and thank you for your friendship,” the vice admiral added.

As head of NGA, Bredenkamp will oversee GEOINT collection, analysis and distribution in support of national security missions.

Who Is Lt. Gen. Michele Bredenkamp?

Bredenkamp has over three decades of military experience. She most recently served as the director’s adviser for military affairs at ODNI. 

Prior to this role, she was commanding general of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Her joint assignments include director of intelligence for U.S. Forces Korea; vice director for intelligence, J-2, on the Joint Staff; and deputy director of program analysis and evaluation, G-8, U.S. Army. 

Bredenkamp said she witnessed firsthand how GEOINT provides clarity, enhances understanding and gives commanders and policymakers a decision advantage. She noted that NGA experts play a crucial role in supporting critical operations worldwide by protecting intelligence sources, safeguarding the homeland and advancing American interests.

“I look forward to building on our GEOINT foundation and rapidly advancing our role as the world-class leader in producing decisive and actionable geospatial intelligence to decisionmakers and warfighters at every level,” she added.

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Tom Harker Appointed DOD Deputy CFO
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DOD Deputy CFO Tom Harker. Tom Harker has been appointed deputy chief financial officer at the Department of Defense.

Tom Harker announced on LinkedIn Monday that he has been officially named deputy chief financial officer of the Department of Defense.

According to Harker, he has been tasked with overseeing the department’s first-ever clean audit and will implement enhancements to business processes and systems to boost transparency, efficiency, effectiveness and audit readiness.

Who Is Tom Harker?

Harker is a seasoned executive and government leader with extensive experience in federal service, military operations and private-sector consulting. He currently serves as president of Harker Group, providing strategic guidance to corporations, partnerships and government entities while serving on boards of directors and advisory councils.

In government, he held various senior leadership roles while with the Department of the Navy. He served as acting secretary of the Navy, as well as assistant secretary and CFO. He was also under secretary of defense comptroller and CFO of the DOD.

His prior experience includes executive financial leadership roles at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Coast Guard. He also held senior positions in private-sector consulting at Grant Thornton and served as a policy analyst at the Office of Management and Budget.

Harker began his career in the Coast Guard, progressing from ensign to senior operational and financial management positions, combining operational leadership with strategic financial oversight to enhance organizational effectiveness across military and civilian sectors.

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