KickStart …
Got Your Back
Wednesday, March 20,
2019
Above the Fold
•
GAO
scorches FAA / Boeing 737 MAX 8 oversight process
•
After
Bridenstine's heart-to-heart, SLS finds another gear
•
China
peeved at Lil' Kim ...time to shed some nukes
•
Gateway
construction sashays at bucolic pace
There’s
an SMDWG slated for next
Monday …more info will be on the KickStart Calendar link after 1015 this
date. –Hu-
Local
Why
Redstone Gateway appears to be slow-moving project
...It's
a unique economic development in that it seemingly has infinite space upon
which to build but is doing so only as the market demands.
Amazon:
Bessemer project delayed, will no longer open in 2019
...The
project is expected to create at least 1,500 jobs and is due to receive
incentives totaling at least $51 million.
Alabama
Records 37 Tornadoes In 2019 Before Spring Begins
...The
average number of tornadoes through the months of January, February, and March
is closer to 8-9 in a given year.
Georgia
Tech Promotes From Within for New International Affairs Chair
...has
named Adam Stulberg the new chair of the Sam Nunn School of International
Affairs.
Aviation
The F-15's unlikely renaissance
...the
former McDonnell Douglas fighter now appears set for an unlikely comeback, with
the US Air Force (USAF) seeking to acquire 80 examples of an advanced variant
called the EX
Boeing's
F-15X Gets an Air Force Boost Over Lockheed's F-35
...Air
Force's five-year plan showed a push to bring back an upgraded version
British F-35s to gain Meteor, Spear missile systems
...BAE
to integrate into the F-35 Meteor
air-to-air missiles and SPEAR precision surface attack missiles made by
European missile systems developer MBDA.
Lockheed F-35 dinged as Boeing's F-15X wins in Air Force's plan
...the
more advanced plane would still take a hit.
At 30,
Osprey Becomes Most Sought-After U.S. Military Aircraft
...375
Osprey tiltrotors — the only aircraft of its kind in service in the world —
have racked up 450,000 flight hours with the U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force
Special Operations Command and the President’s airborne entourage.
B-52 bombers are flying near Russian and Chinese waters this
month
...“simultaneous
training flights” over Europe and the Pacific Ocean this month.
--- Commercial Aviation
Boeing
and FAA Oversight of the 737 MAX 8 Was Flawed: Report
...U.S.
regulator delegated much of the safety assessment to Boeing and that the
analysis the planemaker in turn delivered to the authorities had crucial flaws.
...some
737 Max pilots faced with the malfunction have been able to avert disaster
while the others lost control of their planes
Lazareth's
transforming, flying motorcycle demonstrates a stable hover
...the
Moto Volante ups the ante by putting a 96,000-rpm JetCat jet turbine in the hub
of each wheel and adding hydraulic actuators that tilt the four wheels out and
up
Super
fast travel using outer space could be $20 billion market, disrupting airlines,
UBS predicts
...Long
haul airplane flights that are more than 10 hours in duration would “be
cannibalized” by point-to-point flights on rockets
--- UAV
Airbus
drones deliver first packages to ships offshore
...Designed
to streamline loading operations, it's hoped the technology now being tested in
Singapore will not only speed up delivery times, but offer a greener and safer
way of doing business in busy ports.
US, India collaborating on air-launched drone
...that
could be launched from cargo aircraft
Is it a drone? Or is it a rifle?
...Once
it gets close to those targeted drones, the interceptor is built to fire shells
from the Vepr 12 shotgun (a variant of the AK rifle series) built into its
fuselage.
The Corps’ future high-tech MUX drone program is not dead ?
here’s where it’s at
...still
inching forward despite not making a big splash in the Navy’s fiscal year 2020
budget request.
Beltway/WallStreet
CIA replaces outgoing tech lead with IBM official
...the
position in charge of leading the spy agency’s technology efforts won’t remain
vacant for long.
French defense chief: ‘It’s called Article 5, not Article F-35’
...Paris
wants to partner with the US, but a top French defense official says an
unpredictable White House is forcing Europe to strike out on its own.
White
House Pushes Performance-Based Pay Without Any Money to Implement It
...officials
argued last year, the administration said that in order to begin an effort to
introduce performance based pay, agencies must forego across-the-board pay
increases.
International
5 consequences of a life without NATO
...the
biggest risk would be an untethered Russia
As
US eyes China, Europe wonders if it could fend for itself
...the
growing transatlantic divide isn’t just about defense spending, or even a clash
of personalities
Bolton:
China Is One Reason US 'Looking at Strengthening National Missile Defense'
...contradicts
the 2019 U.S. Missile Defense Review’s view on managing China’s strategic
arsenal.
How to Save Taiwan from Itself
...Taipei’s
political elites no longer heed warnings from their own military. This is why
Washington should care.
As Venezuela crisis deepens, U.S. sharpens focus on Colombia
rebel threat
...a
growing threat from both Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) and factions
of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
US, Russia divided on Venezuela crisis after talks as Moscow
warns against military intervention
..."We
did not come to a meeting of the minds, but the talks were positive in the
sense that I think both sides emerged with a better understanding of the
other's views,"
--- North Korea
Time
for N. Korea to take concrete steps: Moon adviser
...suggesting
Seoul's patience with Pyongyang may be wearing thin.
Defense
--- Defense Executives / Strategy
This is what Mattis will be up to post-Trump administration
...is
returning to his previous role with the Hoover Institution — a think tank
located on Stanford University’s campus.
--- Defense Budget
Focus
of Pentagon's 2020 budget all about China: US ignored mounting threat 'too
long'
...“China
is aggressively modernizing its military, systematically stealing science and
technology, and seeking military advantage through a strategy of military-civil
fusion.”
These US states receive the most in national defense spending
...Total
defense spending by state ranged from $49 billion in California, followed by
Virginia, at $46.2 billion, and Texas, at $37.7 billion. Wyoming was at the
bottom at $393.6 million.
Air
Force Requests New Aircraft, Advanced Tech R&D in FY ’20 Budget Proposal
...Meanwhile,
the service wants 80 F-15X fighters
DoD 2020 budget looks to fix shipbuilding, ammo industrial base
...As
the Pentagon starts pumping cash into shipyards and small weapons
manufacturers, is it enough to save some ailing production lines?
Here is the Pentagon’s list of construction projects that could
be cut to fund a border wall
...basically
every state has a project that could be delayed in order to get construction
underway, but only a very specific set could actually be cut.
New
Estimate Bumps Total Cost of Air Force One By Nearly One-Third
...$5.3
billion price tag is the Pentagon’s first public accounting to include the new
hangars and various other costs.
--- Defense Business Opportunities
Army
Lays Out $790 Million Funding Request for Future Vertical Lift R&D
...some
concern among industry observers about whether proposed Army funding levels in
FY 2020 will be sufficient to move the program forward.
The
Joint Tactical Networking Center Hosts Industry Day
...hosted
an Industry Day in Aberdeen, Maryland, March 6 to demonstrate the capabilities
and functionality of the Tactical Communications Marketplace (TCM) application
and Capability Characterization initiative.
--- Ground Pounder
Gender-neutral fitness test for all? Air Force considering
running-based formula
...hopes
will provide a more accurate measure of fitness vs fatness
Marine Corps ends use of terms ‘PREG’ or ‘POSTPARTUM’ on
promotion photos
...The
Corps instead decided to use the code EXMP.
--- Veterans
VA receives $25 million donation to provide genetic testing for
veterans
...The
money is expected to help up to 250,000 veterans through 2022, starting with
those who have received a cancer diagnosis.
Arthritis can hit troops and vets hard. Here’s how advocates
want to respond.
...osteoarthritis
is the second-leading cause of military discharge, behind combat wounds
--- ISIS / Sandbox
Afghan security forces robbed and terrorized US-funded support
staff to the tune of $780K
...often
detaining workers at gunpoint.
US
denies report it is leaving up to 1,000 troops in Syria
..."There
has been no change to the plan announced in February and we continue to
implement the President's direction to draw down U.S. forces to a residual
presence."
--- Foreign Military Sales
Why Germany Should Further Boost Defense Spending, and Why It
Probably Won’t
...Also:
why the Trump administration should shut up about it.
--- Missile Defense
A
Technological Path Out of the Missile-Defense Security Dilemma
...As
boost-phase defenses become viable, they could reduce the destabilizing effects
of longer-ranged defenses on great-power relationships.
Why
the 2020 Defense Budget Massively Pushes Hypersonic Weapons
...Russia
and China are already getting up to speed
Northrop launches hypersonic defense push
...last
week launched a new campaign website focused on hypersonic defense as part of a
broader push into the business area
Raytheon nabs $97.7M for Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile production
...ESSM
is a joint-development by the U.S. and other NATO countries to develop an
improved version of the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, which is used for ship defense.
--- Navy
Navy
Routinely Buys Defective Ships
...‘A
ship so nice, we built it twice’
The US Navy, facing a shortfall, aims to ink an enormous attack
sub contract next month
...for
the next tranche of Virginia-class submarines
Floating
Train Wrecks: These Aircraft Carriers Are Naval Nightmares
...For
every example of a country that succeeds in deploying a functional carrier and
matching air wing, there’s a counter-example:
Once again, the US Navy looks to scrap its largest combatants
to save money
...considering
canceling six planned service-life extensions on its oldest cruisers, meaning
the service will be short six of its current 22 largest surface combatants by
2022
--- Space Defense
Colorado's
getting a spaceport! To go with its massive military-focused aerospace
industry!
...So
you want to be an aerospace engineer.
Air
Force Reserve Grooming Space Warriors
...the
service will need more skills in three key areas: space, cyber and
intelligence. Where that talent will come from is still a matter of debate.
...a
military element has always been part of the American conceptualization of
space and its usefulness
--- Defense Tech-Cyberwarfare
What can bomb disposal robots learn from a house-cleaning
cousin?
...the
promise of kPAM is less about a specific task than it is about how the robot is
able to identify, manipulate and store encountered objects.
SOCOM tests Sarcos Exoskeleton (No, it isn’t ‘Iron Man’)
...Sorry,
you won't be punching aliens in the face. But loading 200-pound missiles onto a
helicopter by yourself? That's plenty useful.
Army sets 2023 hypersonic flight test; strategic cannon
advances
...Effectively
the super gun replaces the first-stage rocket booster, sending the missile on
its way, at which point the projectile’s own built-in rocket motor kicks in.
DARPA
to exploit quantum computing without a quantum computer
...will
have transformative effects on society eventually, but these may still be
decades away
--- Defense Vehicles
Oshkosh
dealt a blow in defense budget as fewer JLTV vehicles ordered than expected
...request
is down from the $1.93 billion allocated for 5,900 vehicles in fiscal 2019 and
below the $1.9 billion the military was expected to spend on the vehicles in
fiscal 2020.
Aerospace
---Space
Biz
Russia's
Vostochny Cosmodrome Ready for Space, ISS Launches
..."Indeed,
[the route] with an inclination [of 51 degrees to the equator during launches
from Vostochny spaceport] can be used for flight to the ISS"
SpaceX,
ULA, Northrop Grumman line up rocket missions at Cape Canaveral
...within
a few months, the area will be clamoring to see a space mission that has not
happen in Florida in nearly 10 years.
--- Satellites
How
OneWeb plans to make sure its first satellites aren’t its last
...Orbiting
the initial 648-satellite constellation will entail the largest launch campaign
in history.
Mynaric
raises $12.5 million from mystery constellation customer
...venture
that plans to buy up to 1,000 terminals.
---Space
Exploration
At
Bennu, NASA finds a mysterious, boulder-strewn asteroid
...Since
arriving, the spacecraft's five scientific instruments have been surveying the
490-meter wide asteroid
--- Mars Exploration
NASA's
Mars 2020 rover is put to the test
...2020
is a different mission with a different rover, a different set of science
instruments and a different destination on Mars. Its software has to be
tailored accordingly.
--- Space Craft
NASA:
We need commercial rockets! SLS: Oh no you don't!
...After
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine's surprising announcement to the effect
that, hey, if you say June 2020, you've got to actually launch on June 2020 or
we'll buy our rockets from someone that can, the SLS programme blinked and said
"OK".
Boeing
Gears Up For Demo Flight To Space Station
...ready
to follow the SpaceX’s footsteps as it is going to launch an alike mission for
ISS and will fly its CST -100 Starline capsule through OFT (Orbital Flight
Test)
SpaceX
may begin testing its Starship spacecraft this week
..."Starship
needs to be ready to fly again immediately after landing."
--- Astronauts
Spaceflight
Can Reactivate Dormant Viruses In Astronauts, NASA Study Reveals
...secretion
of stress hormones increases. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol
are known to suppress the immune system.
Energy
Researchers
create hydrogen fuel from seawater
...Existing
water-splitting methods rely on highly purified water, which is a precious
resource and costly to produce.
Iran building 2 new nuclear plants
...and
it remains unclear if the Trump administration views this as crossing a red
line since its abandonment of the landmark nuclear deal,
Transportation
Plug-and-play
wheel unit designed to boost production of EVs
...each
self-contained unit consists of a wheel with an integrated electric motor,
along with braking, suspension, steering and control systems
120-mph
Twike 5 adds exercise to even the fastest commute
...like
you're on an exercise bike – and you are, really
Technology / Trends
In
San Francisco, tech boom has left people priced out of housing
...average
monthly rent for a two-room apartment in the city by the bay now runs to
$3,700,
Jeff
Bezos back in Palm Springs for MARS conference, his annual showcase of shiny
new tech
...So
far, this year's conference has included a robot that does yoga, a passenger
drone and an appearance by actor Mark Hamill of Star Wars.
Myspace
loses all content uploaded before 2016
...a
faulty server migration
--- Artificial Intelligence
The
US DoD wants to dominate Russia and China in Artificial Intelligence.
...The
panel broadly testified to senators that AI will significantly transform DoD’s
capabilities and that it is critical the U.S. remain competitive with China and
Russia in developing AI applications.
--- Science!
A
Meteor Caused A Huge Explosion Over The Bering Sea.
...This
one happened last December
NASA:
Meteor Exploded Over Russia With 10x Energy of Atomic Bomb
...The
explosion occurred 15 miles (25.6 km) above the surface and released 173
kilotons of energy.
Physicists
measure quantum tunneling time to be near-instantaneous
...in
the quantum world you can never be 100 percent sure of something. There's a
tiny, tiny chance that the particle will ignore the wall and continue its
journey on the other side.
Researchers
uncover new clues to surviving extinction
...a
surge in the number of individuals with modern traits like greater mobility,
higher metabolism, and more diverse feeding habits.
BioTech
Even
a little bit of soda is a lot not good
...yet
another study has concluded that everyone really, really needs to work on
cutting soda, sports drinks, and other sugary libations out of their diets.
Lowering
Blood Pressure to Preserve Brain Function in Elderly
...could
help preserve brain function as well as reduce cardiovascular events
Positive
trial results show ultrasound energy can treat high blood pressure
...It's
hoped the one-off procedure, called renal denervation, could offer patients an
alternative option to taking hypertension drugs.
Pole
position: human body might be able to pick up on Earth's magnetic field
...there
are signs of humans having a subconscious magnetic sense
Networking
3/20 0730:
Catalyst: Business Opportunities with the Dept of Navy - LogiCore
3/20 2019 Directed Energy Summit, -
Washington, D.C.
3/20 Hill AFB Technology Expo -
Layton, UT
3/25 SMDWG - LMCO
3/25 NDIA's 2019 Undersea Warfare Technology
Spring Conference - San Diego, California
3/26 Global Force
Symposium – HSV
3/26 Space Science Week Begins -
Washington, DC
3/26 NDIA's
Cyber-Augmented Operations Technical Symposium -
Austin, TX
3/26 Precision Strike Annual Review (PSAR-19) -
Arlington, VA
3/26 TechNet Fort Bragg 2019 - Fort
Bragg, NC
3/26 Schofield Barracks Technology Day -
Wahiawa, HI
3/27 1130:
How to Competitively Respond to a Sources Sought & Influence the
Acquisition - Birmingham, Al
3/27 American Freedom Foundation - 6th Annual
Warriors To The Workforce Huntsville Veterans hiring event - VBC
N
3/28 [Tentative]
Reschedule for NASA MSFC Small Business Alliance Meeting - US S&RC
- HSV
4/01 Military Space Situational Awareness
Conference - London,
UK
4/02 20th Annual Science & Engineering
Technology Conference - San Diego, CA
4/05 1730:
PMI-NAC 2018 Excellence
Awards -
Jackson Center, HSV
4/08 35th Space Symposium - Colorado Springs
4/10 1230:
The Catalyst's Doing Business
with HUBZone Companies, HSV
4/11 Marine South 2019 - Camp
Lejeune
4/13 Yuri’s Night Space Coast - 2019
4/16 HSV CoC Montgomery Trip 2019 - Montgomery, AL
4/17 JSU Anniston Army Depot Series: Anniston Army
Depot Forecasting - Jacksonville, AL
4/18 Space Access Conference -
Fremont, CA
4/23 1st NOAA Workshop on Leveraging AI in the
Exploitation of Satellite - College Park, MD
4/29 AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2019 --
Chicago, IL
4/29 DE2DC 2019
- Washington, D.C.
5/02 Cyber and Technology Day at Fort Gordon -
Augusta, GA
5/05 Chamber DC Trip
5/08 Nellis AFB - AFCEA Tech & Cyber Day - Las
Vegas, NV
5/20 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference
(SOFIC) -- Tampa, FL
5/29 2019 Intelligence Analytics Summit - DC
5/08 Nellis AFB - AFCEA Las Vegas Tech & Cyber
Day -
Las Vegas, NV
5/14 ITEC 2019
- Stockhom, Sweden
5/14 The Humans to Mars Summit 2019 - Washington,
DC
5/15 Defence Satellites 2019 Conference -
Munich, Germany
5/20 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference
(SOFIC) -- Tampa, FL
5/21 2019 LANPAC Symposium & Exposition -
Honolulu, HI
5/21 JBER - AFCEA Alaska Tech & Cybersecurity
Day -
Anchorage, AK
5/21 0900:
UNA 2019 Procurement Opportunities Matchmaker -
Florence, AL
5/28 Space Operations Summit An International
Joint Defence Space Forum - London,
UK
5/29 1100:
2019 TVC Summit - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
5/29 2019 Intelligence Analytics Summit - DC
5/29 VETS19
- San Antonio, TX
5/29 NLIT Summit 2019 -
Boise, ID
6/04 National Cyber Summit - 2019
6/05 AUSA Job Fair
- Arlington, VA
6/05 CelebrAsian
- Houston, TX
6/11 Military Space USA - Los Angeles,
CA
6/20 1730:
HSV Association of Technical Societies (HATS) Professional of the Year
Event - HSV Botanical Garden, Grand Hall
6/25 NDIA TVC MDA Small Business Conference, VBC
HSV
6/25 Seradata Space Conference -
London, UK
6/26 MilSatCom USA 2019 -
Arlington, VA
6/28 Space 4.0 : Management & Monitoring of
the Environment - Noordwijk, Netherlands
7/13 Apollopalooza -
Denver, CO
7/30 The 2019, IEEE International Conference on
Space Mission Challenges for Information Technology (SMC-IT) -
Pasadena, CA
8/06 SMD Symposium - 2019 - VBC, HSV
9/17 Modern Day Marine -
Quantico
10/14 AUSA
2018 - DC
So, if you’ve got the time and inclination, drop me a line and let me know what you are thinking about.
If you’ve got time to sit down for a cup of coffee, I’m usually out and making rounds the afternoons of Tues, Thurs, and Friday
[256 612 7814 © ]..
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Hugh Stanley
(c) 256 612 7814
KickStart Group
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HSVKickStart