Lawmakers: Make NASA/Wallops Funding a Priority
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D) joined Maryland and Virginia lawmakers urging congressional leaders to prioritize NASA Goddard and Wallops Flight Facility funding.
Another Historic Moon Launch for NASA
NASA’s biggest test flight of the year is set to launch this morning. At 8:30 am EDT today, Monday, the Artemis 1 mission, an ambitious flight to the moon by NASA’s most powerful rocket ever — the Space Launch System — will head into space.
New Kennel Keeps Military Dogs Close to Home
NAS Patuxent River Security has a new Military Working Dog kennel. Before the kennel opened, the dogs assigned to Pax River were housed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling more than 60 miles away. With a kennel at Pax, base security has improved its overall readiness and also cut logistical costs associated with housing and transporting the dogs off site.
DynCorp Out; Workers Likely Remain
For almost 50 years DynCorp (now part of Amentum) worked with the Naval Test Wing Atlantic at Patuxent River Naval Air Station providing aircraft mechanics and more, becoming St. Mary’s County’s 3rd-largest employer. While Amentum leaves town, officials expect the Pax employees to remain with the new contract winner, Vertex Aerospace LLC,
DoD Will Terminate Unvaxxed Civilians
The DoD’s civilian employees who refuse to be vaccinated will face an escalating series of punishments, beginning with five days of education and counseling, 14 days of unpaid suspension, and finally termination “for failing to follow a direct order.”
NASA Seeks Student Tech Ideas
NASA is calling on all sixth- through 12th-grade educators and students to submit experiments for possible suborbital flights as a way of gaining firsthand experience with the design and testing process used by NASA researchers. The Patuxent Partnership is helping to publicize the program.
Defense Revenues Up 5% Over Last Year
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the defense industry saw a gain in revenues in 2020. Defense revenues recorded in this year’s Defense News Top 100 list totaled $551 billion, up about 5% from $524 billion for fiscal 2019.
Space Industry Moves on Cyber Info Sharing
In the wake of recent high-profile cyber incidents that have put the spotlight on how little information sharing goes on in some industries, the space industry is moving ahead to improve security instead of waiting to be told to do so by the government,
Fagan Nominated Vice Commandant USCG
USCG VADM Linda Fagan nominated as vice commandant of the Coast Guard. Fagan is the head of the Pacific area of operations and will become the first woman to achieve a fourth-star in the Coast Guard.
Election Not Pivotal to Defense Contractors
The status of defense budgets and the continuing budget resolution are largely known and likely unchanging going into the next administration, no matter who is leading it, concur an array of defense industry leaders. The uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic is having a greater impact upon defense contractors and Wall Street.
