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NASA to Launch Israel’s First Ultraviolet Telescope to GEO
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NASA to Launch Israel’s First Ultraviolet Telescope to GEO

NASA has announced its plan to launch a space telescope mission to geostationary orbit for Israel in early 2026 to examine astronomical events that occur over a short period, such as mergers of neutron stars and supernova explosions.

The agency said Tuesday it will provide the flight payload adapter and launch opportunity for the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite that is planned to operate at a GEO orbit for over three years.

ULTRASAT is slated to carry a telescope with a wide field of view to discover and capture transient and variable ultraviolet sources that change on short durations.

According to Uri Oron, director of the Israel Space Agency, ULTRASAT is also expected to deliver advanced ultraviolet sensitivity and enable real-time data control and transfer.

The Israel Space Agency will build and deliver the completed observatory to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for its launch.

ULTRASAT is jointly funded by the Israel Space Agency, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the DESY research institute.

Commerce Department Names Leaders, Staff to Oversee U.S. Semiconductor Investments; Gina Raimondo Quoted
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Commerce Department Names Leaders, Staff to Oversee U.S. Semiconductor Investments; Gina Raimondo Quoted

The Department of Commerce has appointed a team of leaders and staff to help guide the implementation of semiconductor investments from the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.

The CHIPS for America team includes leaders from public and private sectors who will serve in the CHIPS Program Office, which Michael Schmidt heads as director, the Department of Commerce said Friday.

“This group of accomplished leaders brings the diversity of experience, ideas, and backgrounds needed to secure our position as the global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D for decades to come,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

The CHIPS for America team members are: 

  • Rebecca Callahan, Director of Legislative Affairs 
  • Morgan Dwyer, Chief Strategy Officer  
  • Adrienne Elrod, Director of External and Government Affairs 
  • Todd Fisher, Chief Investment Officer 
  • Matt Hill, Communications Director 
  • Dan Kim, Chief Economist and Director of Strategic Planning and Industry Analysis 
  • Brad Koenig, Senior Relationship Director 
  • Andy Kuritzkes, Chief Risk Officer  
  • Atissa Ladjevardian, Chief of Staff for External and Government Affairs 
  • Nikita Lalwani, Senior Advisor to the Director 
  • Sara Meyers, Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff 
  • Mike O’Brien, Senior Relationship Director 
  • Sara O’Rourke, Head of Operations and Chief of Staff to the Chief Investment Officer  
  • Kylie Patterson, Senior Advisor for Opportunity and Inclusion  
  • Fayrouz Saad, Director of Public Engagement 

The CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in August 2022 to help boost U.S. semiconductor research and development, manufacturing and workforce enablement.

The law provides $54.2 billion in total funding to support the domestic semiconductor sector and establishes a 25 percent investment tax credit for spending on semiconductor manufacturing.

ANAB Certified as Accreditation Body for DOD Cyberspace Workforce Qualification Program
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ANAB Certified as Accreditation Body for DOD Cyberspace Workforce Qualification Program

The Department of Defense has approved the American National Standards Institute’s National Accreditation Board as an authoritative body for the Pentagon’s updated cyber workforce framework.

The ANSI subsidiary will serve as the accreditation body for the DOD Manual 8140.03 Cyberspace Workforce Qualification and Management Program, the third update to the department’s policy for identifying, developing and qualifying cyber professionals.

John Sherman, DOD chief information officer and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, issued the DOD manual to modernize cyber workforce management and tracking across the Pentagon.

ANAB developed its personnel certification accreditation program based on the international standard ISO/IEC 17024, which contains general requirements for organizations that certify persons and professionals.

The ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation certifies that ANAB-accredited bodies underwent a valid, fair and reliable assessment.

“Cyber security certifications offered by different ANAB-accredited certification bodies are industry recognized and nationally portable, offering service members advantages including career advancement, better job performance, and practitioner credibility,” said Vijay Krishna, vice president of credentialing programs at ANAB.

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Farooq Mitha Intends to Bring Back Rapid Innovation Fund to Support Small Businesses
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Farooq Mitha Intends to Bring Back Rapid Innovation Fund to Support Small Businesses

Farooq Mitha, director of the office of small business programs at the Department of Defense, said he expects the current administration’s next budget proposal to reinstate the Rapid Innovation Fund to make it easier for small enterprises with novel ideas to do business with DOD, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Since 2019, Congress has not funded the Rapid Innovation Fund, which provided seed money to small businesses with innovative tech platforms and secured over $2 billion in funding over nine years.

Mitha said his office will be planning for the initiative, which he said helped small businesses get through the “valley of death” to facilitate the transition of defense tech prototypes into the production of actual platforms for warfighters.

“If we don’t have those programs on stable footing in terms of authorization and funding, we’re not sending the right signal to industry to participate and we’re not giving industry the right avenues to which through which they can participate,” Mitha added.

He mentioned plans to deploy an updated web portal that would directly link small businesses to potential clients.

“So we’re looking to roll that out as well later this year,” he noted.

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DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Policy USec Robert Silvers Call for International Collaboration to Fight Security Threats
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DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Policy USec Robert Silvers Call for International Collaboration to Fight Security Threats

Investment in domestic and international security partnerships must increase exponentially in order for the U.S. and its allies to fight threats by the year 2023 and beyond, said Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Policy USec Robert Silvers Call for International Collaboration to Fight Security Threats

Mayorkas and DHS Undersecretary for Policy Robert Silvers, both Wash100 award winners, attended the Munich Security Conference to emphasize the importance of information sharing and cyber defense in homeland security, the agency said Monday.

In his speech, Mayorkas stressed that the expanding threat landscape can only be countered through collective action. “We are at an inflection point regarding the sharing of information that could impact the lives of millions of people,” he remarked. “None of us can do this alone or in isolation. It requires a whole-of-society effort. It requires a community effort. We need to increase exponentially our investment in international and subnational partnerships to prepare our nations for the threats we can predict and the ones we cannot.”

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Policy USec Robert Silvers Call for International Collaboration to Fight Security Threats

Silvers called for transformational change in international cyber defense through the collaborative effort of governments and the private sector. “This is a combined effort of network defenders, law enforcement, financial system regulators, and more – all across the globe,” he stated.

He touched on the agency’s cybersecurity contributions in the war in Ukraine, as well as partnerships with similar agencies in the Middle East. “Transforming cyber defense at the international level is not only about how we collaborate to address the threats of today. We must also look back to learn how we can better defend ourselves against the threats of tomorrow,” he added.

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ARPA-E Funds 8 Projects to Break Impasse in Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions Research; Evelyn Wang Quoted
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ARPA-E Funds 8 Projects to Break Impasse in Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions Research; Evelyn Wang Quoted

The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy distributed a total of $10 million in funding to eight research projects focused on low-energy nuclear reactions.

The teams were chosen to participate in the ARPA-E LENR Exploratory Topic, which aims to clarify if LENR can be a viable clean energy source, the agency said Friday.

Two separate grants were received by yhe University of Michigan for experiments that will involve deuterium gas cycling and measurements of hypothetical neutron, gamma, and ion emissions. The other groups will be led by the following organizations:

  • Amphionic
  • Energetics Technology Center
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Stanford University
  • Texas Tech University

“The teams announced today are set out to answer the question ‘does this area show promise, and if so, how? Or can we conclusively show that it does not?” ARPA-E Director Evelyn Wang commented. “While others have shied away from this space, ARPA-E wants to break through the knowledge impasse and deepen our understanding.”

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CBO Requests Budget of $71M for Fiscal Year 2024
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CBO Requests Budget of $71M for Fiscal Year 2024

The Congressional Budget Office has issued a report stating that it is requesting $70.8 million in fiscal year 2024 appropriations, reflecting a 12 percent increase from $63.2 million that CBO secured in FY 2023.

CBO said Tuesday the requested budget reflects strong interest of congressional leadership and members in its work to provide estimates and assess legislative measures and would help address disruptions caused by inflation.

Nearly 90 percent of the requested budget would be allocated for pay and benefits, while 8 percent would go to cybersecurity improvement efforts and other information technology initiatives and the remaining 3 percent would be used to pay for training and expert consultants, according to the report.

The agency said the budget request would enable it to fund the employment of 11 new staff members in 2024 to help carry out analysis in the areas of defense and homeland security, climate change and income security, among other areas, as well as support CBO’s human resources and operational functions.

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Kevin Heald Selected to Lead Accenture Federal Services’ National Security Portfolio
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Kevin Heald Selected to Lead Accenture Federal Services’ National Security Portfolio

Kevin Heald has been elevated to Accenture Federal Services’ national security portfolio lead, which will take effect on May 1.

His promotion comes alongside the retirement of Tiffanny Gates, a three-time Wash100 Award winner who currently holds the position, Accenture Federal Services told ExecutiveGov in an email sent Wednesday.

“I’m proud and excited to hand the reins of Accenture Federal Services’ National Security Portfolio over to Kevin Heald. I’m confident Kevin will bring the experience, energy, and focus this role requires,” said Gates, who will join the organization’s Board of Managers after the transition goes into effect.

Heald praised Gates’ leadership and said that he looks forward to building on the foundation she established during her time in the position.

Currently, Heald serves as the emerging technology and cyber sector lead for Accenture’s federal business, which is focused on Department of Defense, intelligence community and law enforcement customers and employs over 450 staff.

Previously, Heald was senior vice president of information exploitation at Novetta. The company was acquired by Accenture Federal Services in 2021, which, Heald said, was well-executed under Gates’ leadership.

“I’m thrilled about the opportunity to take Accenture Federal Services’ national security portfolio to new heights, forging bold new ways for our clients to maintain advantage and achieve mission success in a rapidly changing landscape,” Heald said.

Before joining Novetta, Heald held roles at Scitor Corp. and co-founded Ennovex Solutions, a firm which offers identity management, cybersecurity and integrated systems to federal customers.

John Goodman, CEO of Accenture Federal Services and six-time Wash100 Award winner, acknowledged Heald’s “entrepreneurial spirit” and commitment to cultivating successful teams to help mission partners reach their goals.

He also said that he is excited to see Gates continue serving the company in her new role.

Heald’s appointment coincides with Accenture Federal Services’ selection of John Peterson as its director of business development, which was also announced on Wednesday.

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Putin Suspends Russia’s Involvement in Nuclear Arms Control Pact With US
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Putin Suspends Russia’s Involvement in Nuclear Arms Control Pact With US

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that he would suspend Moscow’s participation in a nuclear arms reduction treaty with the U.S. and that Russia would resume nuclear weapons testing if the U.S. moved to initiate tests, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Apart from his decision on the New START treaty, Putin said in his address Tuesday that Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine would continue.

U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said Russia’s decision on New START is “deeply unfortunate and irresponsible.”

“But of course, we remain ready to talk about strategic arms limitations at any time with Russia irrespective of anything else going on in the world or in our relationship,” Blinken, a previous Wash100 awardee, told reporters Tuesday during a visit to the U.S. embassy in Athens, Greece.

Putin’s decision came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden visited Kyiv to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the first-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the Eastern European country.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the country would continue to abide by the restrictions under the treaty on the number of nuclear warheads it can field and inform the U.S. of any planned testing of submarine-launched and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The New START pact, which was extended in 2021, is set to expire in February 2026.

CEOs Dan Jablonsky of Maxar & Mile Corrigan of Noblis Coronated with 2023 Wash100 Award
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CEOs Dan Jablonsky of Maxar & Mile Corrigan of Noblis Coronated with 2023 Wash100 Award

Two top-notch private sector leaders were profiled in Executive Mosaic publications today for their exemplary contributions to the government contracting market. Maxar President and CEO Dan Jablonsky and Noblis President and CEO Mile Corrigan are winners of the 2023 Wash100 Award, GovCon and the federal sector’s foremost honor. EM has compiled the Wash100 annually for the last decade in an effort to gather and celebrate the best and brightest in the government services industry, identifying high achievers of the last year and those poised to topple competition and shine in the year to come.

Jablonsky was bestowed with the 2023 award, his second consecutive win, for leading his satellite imagery company to significant contract award wins and participating in fruitful collaborations with peer organizations. Its notable contracts included a 10-year, $3.24 billion award from the National Reconnaissance Office and an extension to its $176 million National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery program award.

Vote for these two star execs at Wash100.com now in the popular vote contest! From January through April, EM tallies the votes and then names an overall winner.

Maxar additionally provided strategic funding to AI-driven geospatial analytics services outfit Blackshark.ai and selected Sierra Space to perform work under a contract to provide solar power systems and production services for a constellation of 16 satellites. To learn more about Jablonsky and Maxar’s award-worthy work, read Ireland Degges’ profile at GovCon Wire here.

2023 is the first time Corrigan has netted the Wash100, but her achievements portend many impressive forthcoming years. The longtime Noblis executive rose to the position of executive vice president in February 2022, working closely with former CEO Amr ElSawy until she officially assumed the CEO post in October. Her first year as incoming CEO and, subsequently, CEO, saw her lead the company to the attainment of a number of patents and the expansion of the company’s Huntsville, Alabama location to a new facility.

Additionally, only a month into Corrigan’s chief executive tenure, subsidiary Noblis MSD landed a five-year, $187 million U.S. Navy contract for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance engineering services. Read more about Corrigan’s landmark year and what the future may hold for her in Charles Lyons-Burt’s profile at ExecutiveBiz here.

Executive Mosaic extends a hearty congratulations to Dan Jablonsky, Mile Corrigan and their outstanding support teams at Maxar and Noblis! If you have not yet voted in the popular vote contest, participate now at Wash100.com.

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