TSA Law. President Obama on Friday signed into law a bill to reform the Transportation Security Administration by requiring the agency to be more transparent. Provisions of the Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act (S. 2719) require TSA to develop a strategic five-year technology investment plan, share additional data with Congress about acquisition programs, establish principles for managing its equipment inventory to eliminate expensive storage, and report on goals for contracting with small businesses, according to Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), who sponsored the bi-partisan legislation.
Aerojet 3D-Printing System. Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully completes a hot-fire test of the first 3D-printed hydrazine integrated propulsion system, according to a company statement. The MPS-120 is designed to provide propulsion for cubesats, enabling missions not previously capable of the tiny satellites. The MPS-120 contains four miniature rocket engines and feed system components, as well as a 3D-printed titanium piston, propellant tank and pressurant tank. The MPS-120 is designed to be compatible with both proven hydrazine propellant and emerging AF-M315E green propellant. The system is upgradable to the MPS-130 green propellant version through a simple swap of the rocket engines. The entire system fits into a chassis about the size of a coffee cup. Aerojet Rocketdyne is a division of GenCorp.
James Webb Telescope. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) remains on schedule and budget, but technical challenges with elements and major subsystems diminish the project’s overall schedule reserve and increase risk, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In a report (GAO-15-100), GAO says delays have occurred on every element and major subsystem schedule during the past year, especially with the cryocooler, leaving all at risk of negatively impacting the overall project risk reserve if further delays take place. GAO recommends NASA follow best practices when updating its cost risk analysis to ensure reliability and NASA partially concurs with this recommendation. GAO says JWST is one of NASA’s most complex and expensive projects at an anticipated cost of $8.8 billion.
C2BMC Spiral 8.2. A contractor team delivers Command Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) Spiral 8.2 upgrade to the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center (MDIOC) for formal testing, according to prime contractor Lockheed Martin. Spiral 8.2 represents more than two million lines of software code that will upgrade the system’s sensor-to-shooter capabilities to enable better debris mitigation, boost phase cueing and improved situational awareness. By providing secure network communications for individual sensors and weapon elements as well as high-availability connectivity, Spiral 8.2 will improve integration of allied systems and information flow in all theaters. After MDIOC completes cycle 2 testing, the Spiral 8.2 software will enter operational and hardware-in-the-loop testing. Lockheed Martin leads the contractor team, which also includes Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics and approximately 20 other smaller companies.
McSally Declared Winner After Recount. GOP challenger Martha McSally has officially been declared the winner of her close race against HASC member Ron Barber (D-Ariz.). In a rematch of their race in 2012, McSally led after election day last month by 161 votes. Her advantage grew to 167 votes after the state-ordered recount concluded this week. She will serve on HASC as well as the House Homeland Security Committee.
NROL-35. The Air Force successfully launches the NROL-35 payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Dec. 12 at 10:19 p.m. EST, according to launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA). The mission launches on an Atlas V 541 configuration launch vehicle, which includes a five-meter diameter payload fairing along with four Aerojet Rocketdyne solid rocket motors attached to the Atlas booster. The Atlas V features the Russian-made RD-180 engine. ULA’s next launch is the Navy’s third Mobile User Objective System satellite (MUOS-3) on Jan. 20 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. ULA is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
SpaceX CRS-5. NASA and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) delay the launch of the company’s fifth Cargo Resupply Services (CRS-5) mission to no earlier than Jan. 6, according to a NASA statement. This provides SpaceX engineers time to further investigate some issues that arose from the static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 16 and will avoid beta angle constraints for berthing the Dragon cargo ship to the station that exists through the end of the year. Estimated launch time for Jan. 6 is 6:18 a.m. EST. Backup launch date is Jan. 7. Beta angles are the angles are the angles between the International Space Station (ISS) orbital plane and the sun, resulting in the station being in almost constant sunlight for a 10-day period. During this time, there are thermal and operational constraints that prohibit the Dragon space capsule from berthing to the station. This high beta period runs Dec. 28-Jan. 7.
Orbital Chooses RD-181. Orbital Sciences selects the RD-181 to upgrade the main propulsion system for its Antares rocket, according to a company statement. In making its decision, Orbital says it evaluated other alternatives from several propulsion providers and determines that the RD-181 offers the best combination of schedule availability, technical performance and cost parameters. The company says it is on track to obtain any and all necessary authorizations to support the use of the RD-181s and recently concluded an agreement with Russian engine developer NPO Energomash for the supply of engines. Production has already begun and Orbital will begin taking delivery of the newly-built RD-181s in mid-2015 to support the introduction of the upgraded Antares launcher in early 2016. Orbital spokesman Barry Beneski says the company made its decision about mid-2014 and signed the contract earlier this month. Beneski also says the company will buy the RD-181 directly from Energomash, unlike the RD-180, of which the RD AMROSS joint venture owns the U.S. distribution rights.
Frank Rose. The Senate confirms Frank Rose via voice vote as assistant secretary of state for verification and compliance. Rose previously served as deputy assistant secretary of state for space and defense policy where he advised the assistant secretary and, as required, the under secretary for arms control and international security, on key issues related to arms control and defense policy. These included missile defense, military space policy and conventional arms control. He joined the State Department in 2009.
Flares Contract. The Army Contracting Command Rock Island awarded ATK a $16.7 million contract to provide LUU-19B/B near infrared (NIR) flares. The contract includes the production and delivery of the flares for one year, with the first deliveries in 2017. There are two potential follow-on options. The U.S. Navy is the primary end-user for the flares. Near infrared flares provide an advantage for nighttime situational awareness during various operations and missions. The LUU-19B/B is deployed out of aircraft and “will effectively illuminate, via parachutes, a large area, providing individuals equipped with night vision technology the upper hand during night ops,” ATK says.
llegal Immigration Up. The Department of Homeland Security says that in FY ’14 illegal migration into the United States, as defined by Border Patrol apprehensions, rose versus FY ’13. The department says that the increase was due mainly to the surge of unaccompanied children and families in South Texas last summer. The Border Patrol made 486,651 apprehensions nationwide in FY ’14 versus 420,789 the prior year. These numbers are well off the peak year of 2000 when 1.6 million apprehensions were made. DHS says apprehensions of Mexican nationals were down this year while those of Central Americans were up.
NASSCO and Oil Tankers. General Dynamics’ NASSCO shipyard in San Diego has begun construction on the second of five “ECO” tankers it is building for American Petroleum Tankers. NASSCO said the tankers are designed to be energy efficient to reduce fuel costs. Construction on the first one began in September. The 50,000 ton tankers will be capable of holding the equivalent of 330,000 barrels of oil. NASSCO is primarily a Navy shipbuilder, but building the commercial tankers helps it sustain its workforce in a way that secures the industrial base, an important issue for the Navy.