The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a security-focused organization for the space industry, achieved initial operating capability after it rolled out its Cyware-hosted threat intelligence sharing system and member portal.

Nicole Robinson, former senior vice president of global government at the networks segment of satellite company SES, has joined Ursa Space Systems to serve as president. She will help Ursa Space CEO Adam Maher expand company offerings across government and commercial markets in her new role, the radar-as-a-service provider said Friday.

Astra Space has secured a $7.9 million contract to help NASA launch six CubeSat small satellites designed to help meteorologists study storms. The company's Rocket 3 launch vehicle will carry the smallsats to space as part of the space agency's Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats or TROPICS mission, NASA said Saturday.

Microsoft now has 142 cloud services certified with high provisional authorization to operate under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, which aims to standardize the security of cloud products used in the federal government. The company said in a blog post published Thursday its offerings under the Azure Government cloud work to boost the security and compliance of federal agencies.

Leidos' Dynetics subsidiary has finished the preliminary design review of a technology meant to help astronauts land on the moon as part of an upcoming NASA lunar mission. Dynetics said Thursday the PDR effort informed the space agency of the Human Landing System's design that complies with system requirements for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to revive manned space exploration.

Collins Aerospace, part of Raytheon Technologies, has secured a decade-long, $34 million contract for resources that would help the Defense Logistics Agency repair gearboxes of the U.S. Air Force's F-16 and B-2 aircraft. The contractor said Wednesday it will perform supply chain management and manufacturing services for the gearboxes, which allow an aircraft's transmission system to shift rotational speeds.

LMI has secured a seven-year, $30 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to help the U.S. Postal Service pursue energy-saving and sustainability efforts to enhance monitoring of the agency's conservation performance. The Virginia-based consulting firm said Wednesday it will advise USPS in support of its Corporate Sustainability and Energy Initiatives.

Artificial intelligence company Clarifai has appointed Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, as a senior advisor and a member of the company's public sector advisory council. Ashley, a two-time Wash100 awardee, brings experience gained from multiple assignments at the U.S. Army, including serving as senior advisor to the secretary and the chief of staff of the Army, Clarifai said Wednesday.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is using Amazon Web Services' cloud computing technology to process and host data from the Perseverance rover, which touched down Thursday on Mars to survey the red planet.

Raytheon Technologies' intelligence and space business will award a combined amount of $400,000 to academic partners for artificial intelligence development initiatives that will focus on augmenting military defense systems and continue through 2022. Southern Methodist University and Virginia Tech will receive $175,000 and $225,000, respectively, to develop AI and machine learning technologies applicable to military operations, Raytheon said Tuesday.

An ASRC Federal subsidiary has secured a potential five-year, $74.8 million contract to help NASA manage spectrum requirements and engineer space communication and navigation systems. Agile Decision Sciences will also provide multidisciplinary professional support services to the agency's human exploration and operations mission directorate as part of the Spectrum and Resource Management, Engineering and Programmatic Support Services contract, NASA said Wednesday.

Northrop Grumman is producing two test models of the U.S. Air Force's B-21 Raider bomber two years after completing the aircraft's critical design review, with the first test article starting to take shape. The company said Monday it uses virtual testing environments, digital engineering approaches and advanced manufacturing technologies to produce the new bomber in Palmdale, California.

Parsons has secured a task order for engineering and security services to help the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency protect the nation from insider threats. The MOJAVE Functional Area 2 contract covers security specialist support, clinical psychology, threat analysis, counterintelligence and other security support services, the company said Monday.

Raytheon Technologies' intelligence and space business will help the U.S. Space Force study a new ground segment system as the service branch seeks to update its fleet of high-frequency satellites.

The Department of Homeland Security has awarded $199,950 to Lauretta AI for a video analytics technology that would reduce physical human interactions as Transportation Security Administration personnel conduct airport security checks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. DHS said Friday the Massachusetts-based start-up will further develop its existing technology to help airports verify if passenger screening processes are moving properly while still maintaining social distancing.