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Terran Orbital Invests $300M in New Florida Space Vehicle Manufacturing Facility; Gov. DeSantis Quoted
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Terran Orbital Invests $300M in New Florida Space Vehicle Manufacturing Facility; Gov. DeSantis Quoted

Terran Orbital, leading provider of end-to-end satellite services, is partnering with Space Florida to develop a 660,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art commercial space vehicle manufacturing facility at the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch and Landing Facility on Merritt Island, Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announced in a news conference on Monday that Terran Orbital will be investing $300 million in new construction and equipment for the “largest satellite manufacturing facility in the world,” and the development is expected to create over 2,000 new jobs.

“In Florida we are going to continue to take the lead on space by investing in infrastructure, training highly skilled workers and maintaining an economic climate that allows companies like Terran Orbital to thrive,” DeSantis continued.

DeSantis noted that satellite manufacturing is an increasingly essential component of the Space Coast’s economy and that this facility will position the state for an impactful contribution to the aerospace industry.

Marc Bell, co-founder and CEO of Terran Orbital, said, “Not only will we be able to expand our production capabilities to meet the growing demand for our products, but we will also bring valuable space vehicle manufacturing opportunities and capabilities to the State of Florida.”

The planned “Industry 4.0” facility will be composed of 10 automated and augmented hangers that will utilize an AI-powered supply chain, 3D printing capabilities and additive manufacturing technologies to produce and deliver thousands of space vehicles to the market per year.

Bell said the facility will create 2,100 new jobs with an average wage of $84,000 by the fourth quarter of 2025.

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Navy Creates Offices to Support Project Overmatch Integration
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Navy Creates Offices to Support Project Overmatch Integration

The U.S. Navy will employ new program integration offices to facilitate coordination between program offices and Rear Adm. Doug Small, who leads Project Overmatch, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

Project Overmatch aims to establish an integrated command and control network in support of the U.S. military’s Joint All Domain C2 concept. The establishment of PIOs as liaisons is a structural move to support Project Overmatch’s implementation across the entire Navy.

A decision memorandum states that PIOs are tasked to oversee the integration of standards, data structures and architectures with the different technologies under Overmatch.

PIOs will coordinate with agencies and organizations that correspond to specific systems, networks and other assets delivered to Navy procurement offices.

In June, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command launched a competition that searched for technologies with the potential to support Project Overmatch. The Networks Advanced Naval Technology Exercise challenge’s submission period ended on July 27 and winners will be announced in November.

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USAF, Boeing to Use VR in T-7A Red Hawk Technical Order Verification; Fred Tschirner Quoted
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USAF, Boeing to Use VR in T-7A Red Hawk Technical Order Verification; Fred Tschirner Quoted

The U.S. Air Force plans to certify the T-7A Red Hawk aircraft's technical orders via methods that rely on virtual reality and 3D modeling.

The effort's assigned team and its partners at Boeing will use the latter's virtual reality technology to certify the technical orders in a way that mitigates risks, Air Force Materiel Command said Friday.

The VR laboratory, known as the Boeing Integrated Development Center, is located in St. Louis, Missouri.

“The goal is to align with the Air Force Materiel Command Digital Campaign where the desire is to create a collaborative, integrated digital environment that guides, orchestrates, and delivers the means for each individual across the enterprise to access the data, functions and elements needed to do his or her job in a purely digital manner,” said Fred Tschirner, T-7A VR team lead.

Tschirner said the facility can also help the team meet the effort's aggressive seven-month schedule.

The aircraft's verification plans will undergo further updates that will define new VR confirmation processes.

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New DARPA Competition Seeks Predictive Models for Sea Drifters
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New DARPA Competition Seeks Predictive Models for Sea Drifters

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched a competition in search of technology that can predict the location of sea drifters or floats in a prospect of 10 days.

DARPA said Friday its Forecasting Floats in Turbulence challenge will task participants to develop and submit algorithms that can predict drifting locations based on the ocean’s current.

FTT supports DARPA's Ocean of Things program, which aims to generate maritime situational awareness via floats drifting across the ocean.

The agency believes FTT's resulting models have the potential to support oil spill predictions, maritime rescue operations and ship route planning.

Participants will receive access to a data set that covers 20 days of sea drift history. Sofar Ocean, a provider of ocean intelligence platforms, produced the spotters that generate this data.

“It’s incredibly exciting for us to partner with the team at DARPA to challenge teams to use this data to develop new approaches to accelerate ocean discovery and research," said Tim Janssen, CEO at Sofar.

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DOD Seeks Public Input for Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Mobile Nuclear Microreactor
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DOD Seeks Public Input for Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Mobile Nuclear Microreactor

The Strategic Capabilities Office of the Department of Defense is seeking input for the recently published draft environmental impact statement for the development of a transportable advanced nuclear microreactor prototype. 

The mobile microreactor, intended to augment the National Environmental Policy Act, is under SCO’s Project Pele, a fourth-generation nuclear reactor that could serve as a front-runner for the technology’s commercialization once it is prototyped, the DOD said Friday. 

The prototype system will be designed to reduce carbon emissions, operate for three years, supply up to five megawatts of electrical power and deliver new tools in support of disaster relief and critical infrastructure efforts. 

Earlier in March, the department tapped BWX Technologies and X-energy to work on the preliminary design of Project Pele’s prototype and perform independent development groundworks for the next phase of the initiative. 

One of the two companies could potentially be selected to create and demonstrate the prototype after the environmental analysis under NEPA and final design review in early 2022 are conducted.

The DOD is encouraging the public to submit comments on the EIS during the 45-day period, noting that two public hearings will take place in Idaho and the livestream will be available online on Oct. 20. 

Mile Corrigan: Noblis Launches RunGrants to Streamline Federal Grants Management Process
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Mile Corrigan: Noblis Launches RunGrants to Streamline Federal Grants Management Process

Noblis, a leading provider of technology and strategy services to the federal government, has launched RunGrants™, a centralized cloud-based program that automates and streamlines the end-to-end grants management process.

RunGrants, the company’s third product offering in its Run solutions suite, centralizes relevant data to improve clients’ decision-making capabilities, and the program is configurable to meet unique mission needs. 

The new program’s key product offerings include enhanced speed and accuracy, data consolidation for improved interoperability, a low-code framework for easy customization, and a cost-effective software-as-a-service model.

Mile Corrigan, senior vice president of Noblis’ Federal Civil Solutions, said that the new RunGrants was developed with a focus on the prioritization and funding of critical public and private initiatives. 

Corrigan continued, noting that RunGrants “provides a clear, modern and user-friendly method for submitting and tracking grant applications to help stakeholders on both sides of the process from application submission, to evaluation, to selection."

This product launch follows the company’s recent launch of RunAcquisitions, which was designed to enhance efficiency and compliance within the federal acquisition process.

Noblis’ Run solutions suite provides government agencies and clients with automation and analytics capabilities to achieve IT modernization goals and optimize workflows.

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Chad Clifford: HHS-Led Grants Management Marketplace to Kick Off by End 2021
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Chad Clifford: HHS-Led Grants Management Marketplace to Kick Off by End 2021

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency tasked to develop a government-wide shared services center for grants management, is eyeing to launch the marketplace segment of the Quality Service Management Office (QSMO) by the end of 2021, Nextgov reported Friday. 

Chad Clifford, executive director at HHS, said the grants management marketplace is slated to kick off in the early fiscal year 2022 as the department works on onboarding federal providers and tapping contractors first. 

“We’re trying to drive shared services through a federal government marketplace that agencies can utilize where they will get guarantees about the level of quality and modernization of functionality,” Clifford shared during a recent event. 

GrantSolutions.gov is one of the first federal services providers planning to enter the marketplace and to offer its automated risk management platform that uses machine learning capability to analyze the performance of grant recipients. 

The establishment of the grants management marketplace is part of the QSMO concept launched in 2019 and intended to build shared services centers that cater to the vital needs of federal agencies.

The Office of Management and Budget has assigned other QSMOs focused on cybersecurity services, core financial management, compensation management and work schedule and leave management services.

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Task Force Issues Guidance on COVID-19 Workplace Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors
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Task Force Issues Guidance on COVID-19 Workplace Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has issued new guidance on workplace safety protocols that should be implemented by federal contractors and subcontractors to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The protocols include the COVID-19 vaccination of covered contractor personnel and compliance with masking and physical distancing measures at covered contractor workplaces, the White House said Friday.

Contractor personnel must be fully vaccinated no later than Dec. 8 and contractors should designate individuals to coordinate compliance with workplace safety protocols.

“These workplace safety protocols will apply to all covered contractor employees, including contractor or subcontractor employees in covered contractor workplaces who are not working on a Federal Government contract or contract-like instrument,” the White House notice reads.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council will release guidance by Oct. 8 to facilitate the inclusion of a clause related to workplace safety protocols in contracts and solicitations. Effective Oct. 15, agencies should ensure that contracts and contract-like instruments contain the clause.

The task force’s guidance is in compliance with a Sept. 9 executive order that requires federal contractors to provide COVID-19 safeguards for their workforce.

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Commerce Investigates US Reliance on NdFeB Permanent Magnet Imports; Gina Raimondo Quoted
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Commerce Investigates US Reliance on NdFeB Permanent Magnet Imports; Gina Raimondo Quoted

The Department of Commerce has started to investigate the potential effects of imports of Neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets on U.S. national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Fighter aircraft, missile guidance systems and other national security platforms use NdFeB permanent magnets, which are also being used in wind turbines, electric vehicles, computer hard drives, MRI devices and audio equipment.

“Consistent with President Biden’s directive to strengthen our supply chains and encourage investments to shore up our domestic production, the Department initiated a Section 232 investigation on imports of NdFeB permanent magnets to determine whether U.S. reliance on imports for this critical product is a threat to our national security,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

The secretary has until June 18, 2022 to submit to the president a report outlining the department’s findings and recommendations.

The department’s bureau of industry and security will accept comments, analyses and other data as part of the investigation through Nov. 12.

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National Security Commission on AI to Disband in October; Robert Work Quoted
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National Security Commission on AI to Disband in October; Robert Work Quoted

The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence will officially dissolve on Oct. 1 after three years of helping Congress and the White House gain insight into possible approaches to advance AI and machine learning development.

NSCAI said Thursday it produced a total of five reports that recommend strategies to apply AI in defense and national security missions since the formation of the group in 2018.

According to the independent body, over 19 of its recommendations were featured in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021 and more others are being considered in the fiscal 2022 defense policy bill and other non-defense science and technology bills.

“We are hopeful that the departments, agencies, the administration, industry and academia will continue this important conversation,” said Robert Work, vice chair of NSCAI and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient.

The government will archive all commission reports, press releases and podcasts on the CyberCemetery website hosted by University of North Texas Libraries.

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