The U.S. Coast Guard has delivered the first Lockheed Martin HC-130J long-range surveillance jet from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., to Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, as part of the service branch’s aircraft modernization program, the Coast Guard said Wednesday.

NASA has completed the requirements needed to move forward with the production and testing of a mission to study the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. The space agency said Friday its Lucy mission, under the Discovery Program, has reached the Key Decision Point-D milestone and may now move forward to components delivery, assembly, integration and testing activities.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has appointed Victoria Coleman, an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and microelectronics, as director of the agency. Coleman served as a founding member of DARPA’s Microsystems Exploratory Council and a member of the Defense Science Board. She will bring her extensive private sector experience, across various senior leadership positions, to DARPA.

Nathan Associates has appointed David Dacquino, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Serco and former Wash100 Award recipient to the company’s Board of Directors. Dacquino will bring nearly four decades of experience to Nathan’s Board of Directors, including top-level executive positions with defense, aerospace and federal government contractor companies.

During a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) competition program, an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, developed by Heron Systems, defeated a human F-16 fighter pilot in a virtual dogfight simulation, C4ISRNET reported on Friday.

The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), National Science Foundation (NSF), industry, educational institutions and professional societies have launched a partnership to introduce quantum science and technologies to middle school and high school students.

NASA has concluded the systems integration review of a space probe mission that will explore Jupiter's Trojan asteroids, verifying the spacecraft's components for integration. The review evaluated the integration schedule of the Lucy spacecraft's subsystems, electrical components, scientific instruments, navigation systems and communications.

Jeff Heggemeier of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) said technical challenges and COVID-19 pandemic-related complications has led the service to move the initial test of the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator system aboard a fighter aircraft from 2021 to 2023.

Gen. Mike Holmes, head of Air Combat Command, said the U.S. Air Force plans to hold a competition for trainer jets for use in testing the “Rebuilding the Forge” training concept. The Reforge training concept seeks to expedite the process of developing experienced fighter pilots. Holmes said the service intends to allow other companies to offer alternative options.

The U.S. and U.K. governments have finalized an agreement that will authorize U.S. companies to conduct launch operations at U.K. spaceports, Satnews reported Wednesday. The agreement will also allow U.S. companies to ferry space launch technology across the Atlantic Ocean.