Rebecca Kern 🟡🟢

Boosting, because your time is valuable, & Pete & Matt get right to the point with what you need to know. #acquisition #contracting

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Digital Capabilities Directorate The Digital Capabilities Directorate (DCD) at the Air Force Research Laboratory focuses on digitally transforming business and technical operations. Key aspects include: Mission: Accelerate the generation and transition of technology with military benefits. Goals: Faster research, streamlined transitions, better decisions, and low-friction operations. Approach: Utilize digital transformation to enhance research, development, and operational efficiency https://lnkd.in/ek4mxNiV #intelligencematters

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A Senate appropriations bill closely follows the administration’s request for NASA in fiscal year 2025 but with provisions about several missions the agency is seeking to cancel or curtail. The Senate Appropriations Committee released the commerce, justice and science (CJS) appropriations bill and report July 26, one day after the full committee favorably reported it on a 26–3 vote. The bill offers $25.434 billion for NASA, $50 million above the administration’s request. A House bill, by contrast, cut $205 million from the request. The bill increases exploration funding by $30 million above the request and for science and space operations by $10 million each. All other accounts were funded at the requested level. While the bill broadly supports the administration’s request, it does criticize some decisions by NASA to cancel or cut missions. That includes the On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (OSAM) 1 mission to demonstrate satellite servicing technologies that NASA announced in March its intent to cancel. NASA requested $11 million for OSAM-1 in 2025 to close out the project. The Senate report, though, directs NASA to spend up to $174.5 million on OSAM-1 in 2025, pending a report requested by the 2024 appropriations bill on how the mission can meet a 2026 launch. The Senate language seeks a new report not later than 30 days after the final bill is enacted on those plans, as well as the potential for cost-sharing with the Defense Department and use of the spacecraft in an extended mission for national security or commercial applications. Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gQrCTnmi #NASA #OSAM1 #Missions The OSAM-1 satellite servicing technology demonstration mission suffered significant cost and schedule overruns. (NASA)

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My take: CSO and CDR U.S. Space Command are emphasizing the immediate need for mission command, and have empowered one 3-star (Lt Gen Schiess) and two O6 commanders (Deltas 5 & 15; CSpOC & NSDC) for all operational space authorities to flow through, with our Company Grade Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers commanding tactical ops from their host squadrons. The rest of us in Delta command positions now focus our efforts to acquire, generate, and sustain forces to present to these two O6 commanders. We must close the gap on what they need to effectively C2 and synchronize space operations into joint power projection. It’s on us as the Force Generation commanders to get the “who” and “how” right — trained, sustained, and integrated — so that the operational commanders can focus on the “why,” “what,” and “when.” It’s a major shift for many of us; however, it’s the right thing to do to drive mission command to the lowest levels, enabling agility and flexibility with those who know the mission best.

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