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GovCon Index Dropped Sharply Last Week
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GovCon Index Dropped Sharply Last Week

Last week, Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index declined by 4.08%, closing with an average of $5,312.73 on Friday. These losses represent the highest weekly decline since GovCon Index launched in December 2023. 

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that collects and presents stock market data from 30 key government contracting organizations in real time. Users can leverage this information to assess the financial performance of each tracked company and gain insights into the broad trends shaping today’s GovCon marketplace.

Only one company, Palantir, recorded growth on Friday. GovCon Index achieved slight gains on Wednesday, but was unable to turn the tide before the end of the week. Despite these losses, GovCon Index has grown by 13.8% overall this year.

For more information on daily GovCon Index performance, check out last week’s market reports. Click here to view the full list of tracked organizations.

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FDIC Fails to Effectively Implement Security Controls for Cloud Environment, OIG Says
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FDIC Fails to Effectively Implement Security Controls for Cloud Environment, OIG Says

The Office of Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said the FDIC’s security controls in its cloud computing environment are not effectively implemented in five areas: identity and access management, cloud secret protection, patch management, flaw remediation and audit logging.

The audit, conducted in partnership with Sikich, found six common themes of security weaknesses in the FDIC cloud platform, the OIG said Thursday.

According to Sikich, the cloud platform teams did not consistently implement secure coding practices, configure cloud platform security settings per cloud service providers and industry best practices, or provision access to its cloud-based systems in accordance with the principle of least privilege.

The company also found that the platform relied on outdated software components and was not properly monitored by the FDIC and that cloud service providers were solely responsible for causing certain vulnerabilities.

Sikich made recommendations, including designing and implementing a plan to prevent, detect and remediate security weaknesses, to improve cloud security controls.

The FDIC concurred with all recommendations and plans to complete all corrective actions by December 30, 2026.

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NOAA Unveils Inaugural Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space
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NOAA Unveils Inaugural Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce has selected 17 space industry professionals to serve on a federal advisory committee that will provide NOAA with independent recommendations on matters related to commercial space policy and regulations.

NOAA said Friday the inaugural Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space, or ACES, will look at key issues associated with the leadership, sustainability and growth of U.S. commercial space activities.

ACES is set to hold its first public meeting in Washington, D.C., over the next two months, allowing the members to set priorities and develop strategies to address the issues facing the commercial space sector.

NOAA plans to name additional members to the advisory panel in 2025 to create a staggered cycle of two-year terms. 

The 16 ACES members who have accepted to serve on the committee for two years are:

  • Al Tadros, Redwire
  • Alex Gilbert, Zeno Power
  • Audrey Schaffer, Slingshot Aerospace
  • Blake Bullock, Northrop Grumman
  • Brien Flewelling, ExoAnalytic Solutions
  • Caryn Schenewerk, Georgetown University
  • Chris Kunstadter, Triton Space
  • Clare Martin, Astroscale U.S.
  • Danielle Pineres, Planet Labs PBC
  • Dave Cavossa, Commercial Spaceflight Federation
  • David Gauthier, GXO
  • El Gardner, Aperio Global
  • Kalpak Gude, Amazon Kuiper
  • Mary Lynne Dittmar, Axiom Space
  • Michael Nicolls, SpaceX
  • Tony Frazier, LeoLabs

Schenewerk and Gauthier will serve as the committee’s chair and vice chair, respectively.

NOAA is also in the process of naming Jared Hautamaki to ACES as a 17th member. He will serve as a space law expert in his personal capacity.

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Data Integrity Key to AI Systems in Nuclear Industry, Regulatory Agencies Say
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Data Integrity Key to AI Systems in Nuclear Industry, Regulatory Agencies Say

In order for artificial intelligence to be successfully integrated into the nuclear industry, the data upon which such systems depend must be meticulously curated, validated and governed throughout its lifecycle, according to a document jointly developed by nuclear regulatory organizations from Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

The recently-released document, titled “Considerations for Developing Artificial Intelligence Systems in Nuclear Applications,” notes that because “reliability, safety, and security are paramount” within the nuclear industry, ensuring the adequacy of AI systems by guaranteeing the quality and integrity of data is equally crucial.

“Deficiencies in data, such as incompleteness, bias, or inaccuracies, could lead to erroneous AI outputs with potentially unacceptable consequences; flawed data may result in flawed output. Equally, AI systems receiving very different inputs in real-world deployment versus training or testing may not perform well,” the document warns.

Prepared by the the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the United Kingdom Office for Nuclear Regulation and the United States’ Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the document seeks to tackle “important topics that should be considered when deploying AI to ensure continued safe and secure operation of nuclear facilities, and other uses of nuclear materials.” The document is meant to benefit all parties involved in the lifecycle of AI systems, including developers, end users, regulators and their partners.

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DOE to Award $68M for AI Tech Development Projects
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DOE to Award $68M for AI Tech Development Projects

The Department of Energy has announced that 11 multi-institution projects focused on artificial intelligence will receive $68 million in funding.

DOE said Thursday the projects, comprising 43 awards, include the development of AI foundation models that could be used to speed up scientific programming and advance automation in laboratories, among other use cases.

The department will also fund the development of energy-efficient AI algorithms using next-generation microtechnologies and the creation of foundation models to advance science and preserve privacy.

The projects, which will run for up to three years, were selected through a competitive peer review process under DOE’s Funding Opportunity Announcement for Advancements in Artificial Intelligence for Science.

“These research efforts will make scientific AI both more trustworthy and more energy efficient, unlocking AI’s potential to accelerate scientific discovery. There is a huge variety in the number of applications where scientists can use AI, from the laboratory to the field to producing scientific research,” said Ceren Susut, associate director of science for advanced scientific computing research at DOE.

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Commerce Department Names New National AI Advisory Committee Members
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Commerce Department Names New National AI Advisory Committee Members

The U.S. Department of Commerce has revealed four new members of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee, a group of experts advising the White House on various issues regarding AI.

The department said Thursday Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the appointments of Aneesh Chopra, Christopher Howard, Angie Cooper and Beth Cobert to the NAIAC. 

Chopra is the current chief strategy officer of Arcadia while Howard serves as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Arizona State University. Cooper is the EVP of Heartland Forward while Cobert, former president of the Markle Foundation, held vital roles at the Office of Management and Budget.

The new members will each serve three years with the committee and can be reappointed for a second consecutive term.

Raimondo expressed confidence in the new committee members, saying, “Empowering our nation’s top talent in AI across academia, industry, non-profits and civil society is fundamental to the responsible development and deployment of this generation-defining technology.”

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USMC Plans to Spend More on 5G Network Training System
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USMC Plans to Spend More on 5G Network Training System

The Marine Air-Ground Task Force Training Command and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center are considering an additional $20 million investment in the Marines’ new 5G network training platform currently under testing in an exercise. 

MCAGCC is demonstrating the new 5G-based communication and training capability at the Service Level Training Exercise 5-24 scheduled from July 13 to Sept. 11, the U.S. Marine Corps said Friday.

The exercise deployed two refurbished Cell on Light Trucks to demonstrate multi-domain operation simulation among other 5G training activities.

Matthew Moreno, assistant chief of staff for MAGTF-TC/MCAGCC communications directorate, said the exercise’s use of the repurposed COLTs demonstrates cost savings and efficient utilization of available resources. “We’re turning tens of millions of dollars in government assets into a high-value training tool for a fraction of the original cost,” he stressed.

According to Moreno, the USMC’s goal is to invest in an additional 11 to 15 permanent 5G training network sites plus six deployable counterparts.

Besides providing live, virtual and constructive training, other potential capabilities cited in using the 5G network include technology testing and development. The network is part of the USMC’s Project Tripoli creating live, virtual, constructive environments—dubbed LVCE—for training on a persistent, global, all-domain and all-echelon scale.

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NRO Conducts 3rd Mission to Launch Proliferated Satellite Architecture
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NRO Conducts 3rd Mission to Launch Proliferated Satellite Architecture

The National Reconnaissance Office has launched NROL-113, the third mission supporting the agency’s effort to deploy a next-generation proliferated satellite architecture that NRO Director Chris Scolese said in May would “enhance our ability to collect and deliver critical information at the speed our users demand.”

NROL-113 was launched on Sept. 5 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the NRO said Friday. The launch was carried out in partnership with SpaceX and U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30.

The agency aims to conduct about half a dozen launches within the year in support of its proliferated architecture. The first launch, NROL-146, took place in May while the second launch, NROL-186, took place in June.

Regarding the satellite architecture, Scolese, a four-time Wash100 awardee, said it is characterized by a diversity that “allows us to remain agile and resilient amid increasing competition and emerging threats, ensuring we are well positioned now and in the future to deliver on our mission of keeping our nation safe.”

NRO Conducts 3rd Mission to Launch Proliferated Satellite Architecture

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NASA Seeks Potential Partners for Plan to Develop New OSAM-1 Use Cases
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NASA Seeks Potential Partners for Plan to Develop New OSAM-1 Use Cases

NASA is seeking potential partners for its plan to develop new use cases for the On-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing 1 spacecraft.

The space agency said it requires information on possible uses for OSAM-1, which was designed to showcase space servicing capabilities and the technology’s transfer to U.S. companies.

The alternative uses should apply to flight hardware, test facilities and personnel associated with the OSAM-1 project, NASA said, noting that the property could be repurposed for different technology demonstrations.

OSAM-1 can also be integrated with other hardware for commercial applications or deployed to enable collaboration with other organizations for scientific research, the agency added.

NASA noted that OSAM-1 was originally designed to demonstrate autonomous and telerobotic technologies for in-space servicing, including the on-orbit assembly, disassembly and reassembly of communication antenna segments.

Interested organizations from the industry and academia and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit proposals that would advance U.S. commercial, civil and national objectives.

Submissions will be accepted until Sept. 30.

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PIA Authority Is Helping SOCOM Speed Up Transition of Projects Into SBIR Phase 3
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PIA Authority Is Helping SOCOM Speed Up Transition of Projects Into SBIR Phase 3

Lisa Sanders, director of science and technology for special operations forces, acquisition, technology and logistics at U.S. Special Operations Command, said adopting a partner intermediary agreement, or PIA, is enabling SOCOM to reduce the time it takes to transition projects into the Small Business Innovation Research program’s Phase 3, Federal News Network reported Friday.

Under the fiscal 2020 defense authorization bill, Congress authorized SOCOM to use PIA in conjunction with other transaction agreements.

“In fiscal 2023, our average time to production decision from the initial topic announcement to the award of a follow on in phase 3 is 18 months, which is compared to SOCOM’s average before using this authority was five years,” Sanders told FNN in an interview.

“We also transition about 50% of the projects that we do under this authority into phase three. Our program is structured in such a way that the program offices who are the transition partner are the ones that identify the topic, the ones that select the vendor, and they are the ones that do the SBIR contract management. There’s a built-in transition pathway, which is part of the reason that we have such a high transition rate,” she added.

Sanders noted that the command used the PIA authority in 2023 for SBIR awards worth about $2.4 million using its own funding and then another $16 million on more traditional approaches for SBIR awards.

She also discussed the impact of the PIA authority on the software acquisition process and how it has enabled SOCOM to attract non-traditional contractors over the last year.

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