Blog

The S²MARTS OTA is celebrating its three-year anniversary. S²MARTS was established to grow and engage an elite network of innovators within focused technology areas such as microelectronics, electronic warfare, 5G, and hypersonics.

Ashley Carter has been an essential part of NSTXL's Acquisition team for a while now but recently took the jump to become our Director of Contracts. Learn more about Ashley and why this role is so pivotal below.

With discoveries occurring at an exponential rate, the government is always looking for ways to push the boundaries of technology and innovation. In order to do this in the most effective way, government program offices have been relying more and more on an agile contracting vehicle known as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs)

Hypersonics research and development is happening right here in southern Indiana. More than 300 Hoosiers—engineers and scientists—are working non-stop at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division to increase U.S. hypersonic capability.

What is AI? What are practical and applicable definitions of AI and ML?  Are they one and the same? AI, like natural (human) intelligence, is easier to recognize than to define. AI is attributed to machines that can learn and solve problems.

All warfighting domains – space, cyberspace, air, land, and maritime – rely on joint interoperability to maintain a deterrent security posture. It is through integrated deterrence, which heavily leans on cyber networks, that the U.S. is able to properly defend against foreign attacks. We must preserve and expand upon our leadership in the cyber domain, and the DoD is calling upon the strong American industrial base to do so.

This week marks the 8th Anniversary of the incorporation of NSTXL. As any true start-up would, we dove in headfirst to develop a new platform to deliver transformative technology to the marketplace at the speed of mission and relevance. And as any true start-up does, we quickly learned that success was not a straight line.

NSTXL will host Col. Eric J. Felt and Col. Joseph J. Roth at the 37th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, CO on April 5 between 2 – 3 p.m. at the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) booth 542. Col Felt and Col Roth bring with them extensive knowledge on current industry technology and the foresight into what capabilities gaps should be immediately addressed to maintain security measures in space.

The importance of seeing a project successfully completed from ideation to prototype cannot be understated. Advancing critical government technology, connecting with leading innovators, and improving the future of national security are vital. But it’s not always easy.

Electronic components are crucial to U.S. DoD’s objectives, and their dependability is critical to every mission. Any damage or malfunction to even one electronic component can be detrimental. As we become increasingly focused on space innovation, the reliability of these electronics is vital.

The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) contract, was awarded to Northrop Grumman Corporation through the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) by Space Systems Command (SSC). The request for prototype was released as a part of the larger DARC program created to enhance our nation's capabilities in Space Domain Awareness (SDA). The solutions created through DARC will be vital in creating a resilient space enterprise.

OTAs offer an alternative to the lengthier contracting process governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) by removing onerous requirements that small businesses advancing dual-use technologies have trouble fulfilling.