/
Space Systems Command Preps LDPE-2 Spacecraft for USSF-44 National Security Mission
Published on
Space Systems Command Preps LDPE-2 Spacecraft for USSF-44 National Security Mission

Space Systems Command encapsulated and linked the Long Duration Propulsive EELV Secondary Payload Adapter 2 spacecraft with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket in preparation for the scheduled launch of the U.S. Space Force-44 mission on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

LDPE-2 is a satellite bus that can accommodate multiple payloads and comes with a modular design to facilitate payload integration, SSC said Monday.

“The LDPE-2 platform allows the USSF to cost-effectively prototype new elements of future space architectures before making major investments across the enterprise,” said Brig. Gen. Tim Sejba, program executive officer for space domain awareness and combat power at SSC.

“This capability has broad potential to fill capability gaps in our space systems architecture and provide helpful services for our mission partners with frequent and low-cost access to orbit,” added Sejba.

USSF-44 will lift off from a launch complex at Kennedy Space Center to deploy multiple satellites into orbit as part of the National Security Space Launch program.

LDPE-1 took off in December as part of the Space Test Program-3 mission and the LDPE-3A is set to launch under the USSF-67 mission in January.

//
DOD Seeks Commercial Energy Storage Tech Options
Published on
DOD Seeks Commercial Energy Storage Tech Options

The Department of Defense is eyeing commercial hardware and software platforms that can work with military-grade mobile generators to store energy and power microgrids in remote locations.

The Defense Innovation Unit described the requirement in a Commercial Solutions Opening notice as DOD aims to boost the performance of medium mobile power equipment operated with an advanced digital control system.

DIU is looking for vendors to develop a tool that has embedded microgrid control and employs open architecture for continuous battery cell and microgrid controller upgrades.

The device should have a storage capacity of 30 to 60 kilowatts, compatible with DOD’s 30 kW and 60 kW AMMPS generator sets equipped with ADCS, the agency noted.

Aside from design and build, offerors may also be required to provide preventive and corrective maintenance.

Proposers can fill out a submission form on the DIU website and send their responses until Nov 14. Army Contracting Command – New Jersey will act as the contracting activity for the CSO.

/
AIA CEO Eric Fanning: Labor ‘Biggest Limiting Factor’ in Aerospace & Defense Supply Chain
Published on
AIA CEO Eric Fanning: Labor ‘Biggest Limiting Factor’ in Aerospace & Defense Supply Chain

Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, cited the rigid requirements for defense contractors and retention challenges as the key forces pushing sector employees away.

“The biggest limiting factor we’re finding in the supply chain is labor,” Fanning, a previous recipient of the Wash100 Award, said in an interview with Defense News.

Executives of publicly traded defense companies have attributed major challenges in supply chain and financial performance to the lingering labor instability in the U.S.

Boeing, General Dynamics and Raytheon Technologies leaders mentioned in their companies’ respective earnings calls that labor shortage and workforce turnover led to higher operational costs in their third fiscal quarter.

Their sentiments echo the results of the 2022 Aerospace & Defense Workforce Study conducted by AIA, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and professional services firm EY US.

The survey, which represented 800,000 employees globally and over 680,000 domestically, showed that compensation was the main reason that employees were leaving their jobs. Wages accounted for 78 percent of turnover, followed by 75 percent who left because of career advancement and 31 percent who resigned due to remote work or relocation opportunities.

//
DOD Project Seeks to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Hypersonic Airbreathing Systems; Keith Devries Quoted
Published on
DOD Project Seeks to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Hypersonic Airbreathing Systems; Keith Devries Quoted

The Department of Defense has asked interested stakeholders to propose prototypes for a project that seeks to advance additive manufacturing processes for producing complex parts of hypersonic weapons systems.

DOD expects the platforms that will emerge from the Growing Additive Manufacturing Maturity for Airbreathing Hypersonics project to help meet the temperature and propulsion requirements of new hypersonic airbreathing platforms, the DOD Manufacturing Technology Program said Friday.

The GAMMA-H initiative is meant to encourage nontraditional contractors and small businesses to take part in defense manufacturing.

Keith DeVries, deputy director of the office of the secretary of defense’s ManTech program, said platforms produced through GAMMA-H will help improve how to apply additive manufacturing to airbreathing hypersonics systems.

“This will only be achieved through the partnership of large companies, small businesses, and academia,” added DeVries.

DOD will accept questions regarding the project through Nov. 10 and proposed platforms through Dec. 12.

The department will issue the prototype opportunity using an other transaction agreement under the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems contract vehicle managed by the National Security Technology Accelerator.

//
Nathan Kebede Joins Michael Baker International in New Leadership Position
Published on
Nathan Kebede Joins Michael Baker International in New Leadership Position

Nathan Kebede, P.E., an experienced pavement engineer, has joined Michael Baker International as the practice lead of national pavement services, the pavement engineering firm’s newly-created position.

In his new role, Kebede will work across departments to select opportunities for Michael Baker to deliver pavement data collection and pavement management consulting support while guiding the organization in working with local, regional, state and federal agencies, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company announced on Monday.

“As we continue to reimagine Michael Baker by expanding our services and capabilities, Nathan will draw on his experience, expertise and passion to lead our Pavement Services team, serving as a trusted partner and adviser to our clients making pavement maintenance decisions,” said Dan Kieny, the company’s president of consulting and technology solutions.

He also commented on Kebede’s dedication to advancing pavement inspection technology and harnessing pavement management systems to ensure informed decision-making.

In his previous role as CEO of ARRB Systems America, Kebede guided the launch of modern pavement evaluation systems into the U.S. market. He has held multiple pavement management and engineering roles throughout his career, serving as a pavement engineer for Applied Pavement Technology and as a data services manager at Cartegraph.

Kebede has been an involved member of the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting since 2018 and works with many of its associated committees. He has also served as the Commissioner of both the Transportation and Environmental and Energy Commissions of Wilmette, Illinois.

Alongside his work at the corporate level, Kebede has participated in numerous studies that have been published in various journals.

Additionally, Kebede holds professional engineer licenses from the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

/
GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks Discusses ‘New Era For Cybersecurity,’ Metaverse & IoT Security
Published on
GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks Discusses ‘New Era For Cybersecurity,’ Metaverse & IoT Security

Chuck Brooks, a highly esteemed cybersecurity leader and a significant member of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program, was featured on the cover of the 28th edition of the Adello Magazine to discuss the synergy of the Metaverse and how the Internet of Things (IoT) can raise productivity and security standards for the whole technology industry.

In his feature for the magazine entitled, “New Era For Cybersecurity,” GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks explained the growing connectivity and cybersecurity risk management for IoT as well as the importance of obtaining massive amounts of data to drive the success of the Metaverse.

“There is a growing understanding of the seriousness and sophistication of IoT cyber threats from our adversaries – nation-states, organized crime, and loosely affiliated hackers,” GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks explained. 

“Protecting IoT devices is a tall order, and knowing where the threats are coming from and how best to fortify our defenses and mitigate breaches is essential,” he continued. “The government has assisted in that challenging endeavor.” 

In addition, Chuck Brooks also discussed the critical and different aspects of this mission, including identifying the threats to IoT devices, using a risk management framework, developing IoT readiness as well as potential solutions and services. 

“There are no failsafe solutions, and the task of securing IoT is monumentally difficult, especially as the connectivity grows in parallel to the sophistication and the capabilities of threat actors,” Chuck Brooks. “But for the most part, these threat actors will go where there is the least resistance. Bringing IoT security ready should be a priority pursuit for everyone connected.” 

Visit Adello Magazine to read the full feature from GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks. 

About GovCon Expert Chuck Brooks 

Chuck Brooks, President of Brooks Consulting International, is a globally recognized thought leader and subject matter expert Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies.

Chuck is also Adjunct Faculty at Georgetown University’s Graduate Cybersecurity Risk Management Program where he teaches courses on risk management, homeland security technologies, and cybersecurity.

He is also IEEE Cyber Security for Next Generation Connectivity Systems for Quantum IOT Vice-Chair and serves as the Quantum Security Alliance Chair for IOT. LinkedIn named Chuck as one of “The Top 5 Tech People to Follow on LinkedIn.

/
Christopher Cleary Unveils DON’s Vision to Achieve Cyberspace Superiority
Published on
Christopher Cleary Unveils DON’s Vision to Achieve Cyberspace Superiority

Christopher Cleary, the principal cyber adviser of the Department of the Navy, has unveiled a new strategy outlining DON’s priorities and objectives to achieve dominance in the cyberspace domain.

The Cyberspace Superiority Vision identifies three core principles that guide DON’s activities aimed at safeguarding operations against adversary cyberattacks, the Navy said Friday.

The strategy serves as a framework to ensure the security and survivability of DON’s information technology infrastructure and weapon systems and to maintain cyber operators’ defensive capabilities.

“The principles of secure, survive, and strike build an enduring advantage for the Department of the Navy and enable our force to prevail in competition, crisis, and conflict,” Cleary explained.  

The CSV principles were built on the objectives outlined in the Navy’s framework for achieving information superiority.

The Information Superiority Vision, released in February 2020, seeks to modernize, innovate and defend the service branch’s information systems against cyber vulnerabilities.

NASA Armstrong Concludes Final Calibration Tests on Navy’s Super Hornet
Published on
NASA Armstrong Concludes Final Calibration Tests on Navy’s Super Hornet

NASA Armstrong Research Center has completed complex loads of calibration tests on an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft from the U.S. Navy at its Flight Loads Laboratory in Edwards, California.

The final phase of loads calibration testing focused on the aircraft’s vertical tails and performed a total of 87 load cases during which 84 hydraulic actuators were operated by the test engineers, NASA said Friday.

The team performed a simultaneous operation of 56 actuators to measure the structures’ response to the load applied to the aircraft.

“Our goal when we test any customer-supplied component or jet, is to return it undamaged (unless a test objective requires testing to failure),” said Larry Hudson, chief test engineer at NASA Armstrong Flight Loads Laboratory.

“After 87 load cases, our test approach and systems were able to do just that ­– obtain quality test data and deliver the test article back undamaged,” he added.

Hudson noted that the most recent testing incorporated the data generated from the second testing phase that focused on Super Hornet’s wings and wrapped up in March. Testing on the aircraft’s horizontal tails was concluded in October 2021. 

/
GovCon Expert Rich Wilkinson Talks 2022 Gauge Report Results; GovCon Challenges
Published on
GovCon Expert Rich Wilkinson Talks 2022 Gauge Report Results; GovCon Challenges

Rich Wilkinson, senior director of industry marketing at Unanet, published his latest feature article as a key member of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program to highlight the results of the recently released 2022 GAUGE Report and other topics. 

More specifically, GovCon Expert Rich Wilkinson discussed that 68 percent, of the more than 1,100 executives who were surveyed in the government contracting (GovCon) community, are positively optimistic about their businesses despite some growing concerns in the sector regarding greater competition for government contracts and new talent recruitment challenges.

“The theme of the sixth annual GAUGE Report is ‘Reimagining how we work,’ and this year’s findings reveal several important ways in which government contracting firms are indeed reimagining their approaches to recruiting, retaining and managing people,”  GovCon Expert Rich Wilkinson explained. 

In addition, he also shared that close to 70 percent of respondents are employing a fully remote or hybrid work environment and viewing the changes in a positive light, but 49 percent of respondents also reported that recruiting and maintaining their workforce has worsened as a result of the pandemic.

“Each year since 2017, the GAUGE Report has provided government contracting firms with important benchmarks to measure themselves against their peers in five key areas,” Wilkinson continued. He also took a closer look into a few of our most compelling findings in the areas of government contract compliance, accounting, utilization, growth and efficiencies. 

Visit GovConWire to read the full feature from Unanet’s Rich Wilkinson and learn more about Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program. 

/
State Department Initiates Efforts to Advance Use of Software Bills of Materials; Zetra Batiste Quoted
Published on
State Department Initiates Efforts to Advance Use of Software Bills of Materials; Zetra Batiste Quoted

The State Department is creating a working group to come up with guidance and procedures on how to gather and store software bills of materials as part of efforts to improve its supply chain risk management, Federal News Network reported Friday.

“We’re not there yet,” Zetra Batiste, enterprise chief information security officer for cybersecurity SCRM at the State Department’s bureau of information resource management, said of SBOM adoption. 

“However, we do realize the need for ongoing collaboration with industry and government stakeholders to ensure that we’re harmonizing that federal effort on automating and building a repository of SBOMs for reciprocity,” Batiste added.

She said the department should address some challenges to advance the use of SBOMs, including the need for SBOMs to be machine-readable and automatically generated. She noted that the C-SCRM team is developing a platform to ingest SBOMs.

Batiste noted that the agency currently performs continuous monitoring of software to detect vulnerabilities and works with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to facilitate threat information sharing.

1 … 696 697 698 699 700 … 2,617