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.

Maintaining security while keeping our soldiers safe is our nation’s ultimate mission. Virtual Reality (VR) is the way to do that. Through VR we can train our soldiers in replica battlefields without unnecessarily putting them in danger.

S2MARTS has announced that Hypersonics Advanced Manufacturing Test Capability Test (HAMTC) has been awarded to Fiber Materials, Inc. and Purdue Applied Research Institute. With modern hypersonic weapons capable of traveling over five times the speed of sound, technology has never moved faster than it does today.

When it comes to hypersonic missiles and the trusted microelectronics that make them (and other military tools) so effective, we're losing the battle to China. CIA Director William Burns called the Chinese government "the most important geopolitical threat we face in the 21st century."

The Additive Manufacturing for Technology Protection prototype project selected six performers through the S²MARTS OTA. Powered by NSTXL, S2MARTS is the DoD’s premier rapid OT contracting vehicle for flexible acquisition in trusted microelectronics, strategic & spectrum mission, and other critical mission areas.