Generative artificial intelligence and Space Force Supra Coders and cybersecurity were the main highlights of the the 2023 Department of the Air Force Information Technology and Cyberpower Education & Training Event. Mike McCalip, vice president of Department of Defense solutions at Carahsoft, shared the use cases and multifaceted approaches by the Air Force and Space Force on the three IT areas.

Lance Spencer, client executive vice president for defense at AT&T, leads the company’s efforts to help the Department of Defense modernize its operations with 5G offerings. Spencer recently sat down with ExecutiveBiz for an Executive Spotlight interview, during which he discussed the immense potential of 5G, its ability to transform the way the military uses technology and the challenges that may be faced in its development and deployment. 

Blue Origin has launched a mockup of its Blue Moon 1 lunar lander at its Huntsville, Alabama-based facility for use in testing technologies meant for a manned version of the vehicle for NASA’s Artemis 5 mission.

The migration between private and commercial 5G wireless communication can deliver numerous capabilities to U.S. warfighters, said Mike Loomis, general manager of Nokia's federal business. In an interview, Loomis discussed the different benefits and challenges of integrating commercial and private 5G networks with the Department of Defense.

ECS will add Microsoft Defender as an endpoint tool to the second version of its Army Endpoint Security Solution as part of capability improvements and upgrades, said Mark Maglin, ECS' vice president of Department of Defense cybersecurity. Maglin discussed in an interview his company's plan to accomplish the five-year, $430 million contract recompete it won from the U.S. Army Cyber Command in September 2022.

Small satellite builder Terran Orbital has secured a contract from Lockheed Martin to manufacture 36 Beta satellite buses for the second tranche of the Space Development Agency's data communications transport layer. Terran Orbital said Tuesday it will deliver the satellite buses to Lockheed for payload integration with the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture's Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta variant prototype constellation, which will form the foundation of the T2TL.

Alex Whitworth, sales director at Carahsoft Technology, said the White House and other federal agencies launched several efforts to improve cybersecurity in the electric and utilities sector. These include a national security memorandum for critical infrastructure introduced in 2021 and a national cybersecurity strategy unveiled in March, Whitworth wrote in a blog post published Tuesday.

Ricardo Lorenzo, chief technology officer at Parsons, said the company helps military customers build, operationalize and employ artificial intelligence systems for multi-domain missions. According to Lorenzo, Parsons builds operational AI capabilities designed to function within real-world hardware and communications-constrained environments, interact with legacy software systems and operate on disparate and unreliable sensor feeds.

Forcepoint's Global Governments and Critical Infrastructure cybersecurity business will focus on insider risk and behavior analytics and increase investment in cyber defense technologies against insider threats after being acquired by asset management firm TPG, Forcepoint G2CI CEO Sean Berg told GovInfoSecurity in a recent interview. Berg commented that the divestiture is beneficial for the firm and Forcepoint's commercial business, but the two will continue to collaborate on certain endeavors.

CesiumAstro completed an over-the-air demonstration of a Ka-band satellite communications terminal it developed with SES and Hughes Network Systems. The OTA demo, which took place in Austin, Texas, focused on the connectivity of CesiumAstro's terminal with SES’ geosynchronous orbit satellite and Hughes' HM400 software-defined modem located at a ground station in Maryland.

Hughes Network Systems VP and GM Rick Lober gives an exclusive look at forthcoming projects at Hughes, such as a new LEO offering, a 5G satellite project and an ongoing interest in software-defined networking.

Digital twins are another ascendent technology making a huge impact on the satellite industry and beyond. If you want to know more from some of the U.S. government's foremost experts on the subject, attend the virtual Digital Twins Forum on Nov. 1. Register here now.

Sierra Space raised $290 million in equity during its Series B funding, increasing its total investment to $1.7 billion. A Japanese consortium led the private capital infusion that elevated the commercial space company’s valuation to $5.3 billion. MUFG, Japan’s largest bank, along with Kanematsu and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, formed the lead investor group in the latest funding round, Sierra Space said.