Another Historic Moon Launch for NASA

NASA’s Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard is seen atop the mobile launcher as it is rolled up the ramp at Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first integrated test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, SLS rocket, and supporting ground systems. (NASA/Joel Kowsky photo)

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

NASA’s biggest test flight of the year is set to launch this morning. At 8:30 am EDT today, Monday, the launch of the Artemis 1 mission, an ambitious flight to the moon by NASA’s most powerful rocket ever — the Space Launch System — is scheduled at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reports Space.com. Here’s how to watch the moon launch online.

Forty blind veterans will make their way to Kennedy Space Center to experience the Artemis I launch in person, reports South Florida SunSentinel, in coordination with Wisdom 4 The Blind and NASA. The vets will be “able to hear it and feel the ground shake as this new rocket, which is one of the largest rockets ever built, will lift off and take the payload,” said Benjamin Keeley, co-founder of Wisdom 4 The Blind.

The US Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry conducting patrols as part of an international mission was unable to get clearance for a port call in the Solomon Islands, reports The Associated Press. The cutter was taking part in Operation Island Chief monitoring fishing activities in the Pacific when it sought to make a scheduled stop on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, to refuel.

The Pentagon has published a strategy and action plan for its Department of Defense Warfighter Brain Health Initiative, reports Navy Times. The plan aims to identify each service member’s baseline brain health, while developing policies to prevent, identify, and treat brain injuries caused not only by combat, but by repeated shakes and blasts during training.

The US Navy has exceeded 1,500 COVID-19 vaccine refusal separations since the service mandated the vaccinations, reports USNI News.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the vaccine mandate for federal contractors can largely go back into effect — at least for now, reports Federal News Network. The ruling Friday overturned a lower court that had applied the injunction nationwide.

The Hill reports that the federal government is set to suspend its offer of free at-home COVID-19 tests by September 2.

Millions of dollars in COVID aid went to retrain veterans, and only 397 landed jobs, reports The Washington Post. Nearly $400 million, part of the American Rescue Plan, went to a veteran retraining program.

Veterans Affairs mishandled thousands of Camp Lejeune, NC, water contamination cases, according to a Defense Department inspector general’s report, reports Marine Corps Times.

The US will appoint its first Arctic ambassador, reports Politico. The Biden administration wants the new ambassador-at-large position focused on the Arctic region, an area of growing geostrategic concern.

 

 

Northrop Grumman will deliver its X-47B demonstrators — two of which were built and flown — to two aviation museums for display, reports The Drive. While there were indications that the demonstrators could be used for additional test work related to advanced unmanned air combat capabilities that are now finally becoming a major procurement priority, that clearly didn’t pan out.

The Australian Defence Force plans to replace its MRH90 Taipan utility helicopters with 40 UH-60M Black Hawks, reports Defense News. The US State Department OK’d a $1.95 billion sale of the helicopters to Australia last week.

An Army Reserve pilot program will offer free child care during weekend drills in an attempt to boost retention, reports Military.com. The program is scheduled in four states and set to begin next month.

Some US Air Force airmen and active YouTubers believe they may have found the answer to successful recruiting for the service, reports Air Force Times. “Social media is how we get the attention and the recruitment and the diversity,” said CAPT Veronica Collins. The medical officer at Joint Base San Antonio in Texas has nearly 10,000 subscribers and more than 1 million views on her YouTube channel.

Two airborne emergencies lead to an “unprecedented” day for the New Hampshire National Guard, reports New Hampshire Public Radio. Two of the Guard’s planes were forced to make emergency landings. The incidents ended with no injuries reported. One of the incidents involved a refueler craft carrying staff members of Reps. Chris Pappas and Annie Kuster, who were onboard for an orientation flight.

US forces conducted a strike Thursday on Iran-affiliated militants following rocket attacks on bases in northeastern Syria, reports The Hill. Three US service members were treated following attacks last Wednesday. US forces responded to the attacks, destroying three vehicles and equipment used to launch some of the rockets.

Maryland has been ranked as the No. 1 state in the nation for gender equality, according to an analysis by US News and World Report, reports Patch.com. “We are proud that Maryland leads the nation in expanding opportunities for women and girls. While there is always more work to do, it is especially gratifying that this study recognizes our commitment to closing the gender gap in the computer science and STEM fields, where we have made great strides. This is another example of how we are truly changing Maryland for the better,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a news release. Rounding out the top 5 states were Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Illinois, reports US News and World Report.

Spc. Grant Lee Mosley, 25, a combat engineer at Fort Bliss, TX, was indicted last week in Texas federal court for allegedly 3D-printing and selling parts that can turn commercially available firearms into automatic weapons, reports Army Times.

The US Army Criminal Investigation Division is looking for a M240B machine gun missing from the Army’s National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA, reports Task & Purpose. There are no indications of any criminal activity, according to a CID spokesperson.

Contracts:

System High Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, is being awarded a competitive, cost-plus-fixed-fee level-of-effort contract. The total value of this contract is $150,000,000. Under this new contract, the contractor will support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) with advisory and assistance services supporting the development, implementation, maintenance, and assessment of security, emergency management, and program protection for the integrated, layered Missile Defense System (MDS). Efforts include assisting with government review and disclosure of classified and Controlled Unclassified Information to foreign governments and international organizations; international visits and assignments to MDA; technology transfer; munitions export/import licensing; and declassification of documents. The counterintelligence requirement supports government efforts to integrate defensive counterintelligence activities, products and services, into MDA programs. The work will be performed in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Dahlgren, and Quantico, Virginia; Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado; Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; Vandenberg SFB, California; Fort Greely and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; and Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaii. The period of performance is from August 2022 to September 2027. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the SAM.gov website with five proposals received. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,268,414 are being obligated on this award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0858-22-C-0007).

Altamira Technologies Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $280,000,000 modification (P00029) to a previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-plus-incentive-fee, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8604-15-D-7977). The contract provides for Advanced Technical Exploitation Program II support for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) research and development; and measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) research and development; GEOINT and MASINT operational production support; and other mission areas. Work will be performed at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and other locations, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2, 2024. The contract modification provides for an increase to the overall ceiling of the contract; and an extension of the ordering period by one year. This modification increases the estimated contract value from $960,000,000 to $1,240,000,000. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,240,000,000. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Centauri LLC, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $280,000,000 modification (P00031) to a previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-plus-incentive-fee, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8604-15-D-7975). The contract provides for Advanced Technical Exploitation Program II support for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) research and development; and measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) research and development; GEOINT and MASINT operational production support; and other mission areas. Work will be performed at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and other locations, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 2, 2024. The contract modification provides for an increase to the overall ceiling of the contract; and an extension of the ordering period by one year. This modification increases the estimated contract value from $960,000,000 to $1,240,000,000. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,240,000,000. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc. PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $7,813,769 modification (P00003) to contract W912BV-20-C-0016 for environmental remediation services. Work will be performed in Enid, Oklahoma; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Little Rock AFB, Arkansas; and Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 29, 2030. Fiscal 2022 environmental restoration, defense funds in the amount of $7,813,769 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity.

CACI Enterprise Solutions Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00005) in the amount of $8,561,933 to a previously awarded contract (H98210-20-F-0240) for the Traveler Assistance Center (TAC) to provide travel support across the Department of Defense. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia. The option period of performance is from Aug. 27, 2022, to Aug. 26, 2023. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds are being used for this modification, which brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $24,833,416 from $16,271,483. Defense Human Resources Activity, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

UPDATE: Avports LLC, Dulles, Virginia (SPE607-22-D-0105, $35,935,397), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for fuel support at Moffett Federal Airfield, California, issued against solicitation SPE607-22-R-0200 and awarded May 4, 2022.