Space Operations Command has launched an office tasked with improving the procurement and integration of new technologies and capabilities into space operations.

SpOC said Monday that the Space Acquisition and Integration Office was formally activated at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado to supply the U.S. Space Force with new warfighting capabilities.

Katharine Weimer, director of SAIO, said the office not only supports acquisition and integration efforts but also provides integrated program, contracting and quality management services in support of SpOC-assigned missions.

SAIO also supports two combatant commands and the USSF’s Space Training and Readiness Command as they build up their own procurement capability.

“We are proud of the speed we executed the acquisition by condensing a normal 14–18-month timeline to six months and being at the forefront of helping STARCOM establish its training model,” shared Weimer.

SpOC informally activated SAIO on June 18, 2021, through the merger of three legacy organizations and two contracting flights.

The General Services Administration is working with the Department of Defense in an effort to simplify the process for federal agencies to buy environment-friendly products.

Erv Koehler, assistant commissioner of the GSA Office of General Supplies and Services, wrote in a blog post published Thursday that DOD’s Sustainable Technology Evaluation and Demonstration program STED endorses manufacturers of sustainable offerings to military installations so that their innovations may be tested for performance and market demand.

The evaluation results are sent by STED to acquisition professionals at the GSA who will determine the companies’ eligibility for the Multiple Award Schedule program. The innovators may also be given a national stock number to expedite future orders, Koehler noted.

He added that the program has led to the discovery and fast-track introduction of nature-friendly commodities to the federal marketplace.

David Asiello, a director in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Installations and Environment, oversees STED.

The General Services Administration is planning to give the departments of Homeland Security and Justice a two-year extension to complete their transitions to the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract vehicle.

Laura Stanton, the assistant commissioner for the Federal Acquisition Service’s Office of Information Technology Category, said in a blog post published Friday that DHS and DOJ will have until May 31, 2026 to finalize their EIS transition plans.

Stanton said that both agencies have requested the extensions, citing multiple factors including disruptions in the global supply chain and challenges brought by the pandemic.

GSA has agreed to create the extensions to help the departments carry out their plans without disrupting the delivery of critical services.

The agency expects there are more than 60 contracts that will need extensions after the May 31, 2024 deadline. 

“GSA will execute modifications to extend each contract. The justification for these modifications will detail the current status, the delays and obstacles agencies have faced in their transitions, and the timeline in which they expect to have their transitions completed,” Stanton said.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has published draft guidelines to inform the development of secure, privacy-protective digital identity platforms to help combat fraud and cybercrime.

Laurie Locascio, director of NIST and undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, said in a statement published Friday that the agency is seeking industry input on the potential impacts of the technologies on members of marginalized groups and underserved communities.

The fourth revision to the four-volume Special Publication 800-63 Digital Identity Guidelines document suite covers technical requirements for identity proofing and authentication of real-life people, such as government contractor employees.

It also includes privacy requirements and outlines recommendations for enhancing equity and usability of digital identity platforms and associated equipment and processes.

“This draft update reinforces that NIST’s guidelines have always allowed for alternatives to facial recognition as well as appropriate and fair use of facial recognition technologies and that NIST will be more fully defining these alternatives in the final guidelines,” said Jason Miller, deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget.

Responses to the draft publication are due March 24, 2023.