GovConJudicata Weekly Debrief (8/7–11)

This week's Weekly Debrief covers IT modernization, NOAA supercomputers, SpaceX's rideshare missions, and Firefly's orbital vehicle debut.

IT Modernization

NextGov/FCW – NOAA upgrades weather forecasting supercomputers

• "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is upgrading the supercomputing power of its weather forecasting operations. The science agency announced 20% expansion in computing power to its Dogwood supercomputer in Manassas, Va., and the Cactus supercomputer in Phoenix, both of which began operating in NOAA in June 2022."

Federal Times – Don’t cut the Technology Modernization Fund

• "Our world is increasingly dominated by digital technology, with our everyday lives revolving around it. From shopping and banking to healthcare and education, our reliance on digital platforms is pervasive. And if the pandemic reinforced anything, it’s that digital government services and communications are important. Yet, despite this digital revolution, our federal government continues to grapple with outdated legacy IT systems."

Space

SpaceNews – SpaceX to offer mid-inclination smallsat rideshare launches

• "SpaceX is offering a second class of rideshare missions on its Falcon 9 rocket to serve customers seeking to go to mid-inclination orbits. During a presentation at the 37th Annual Small Satellite Conference here Aug. 9, Jarrod McLachlan, director of rideshare sales at SpaceX, said the company will start launching a series of missions dubbed “Bandwagon” that will complement its existing Transporter line of rideshare missions."

TechCrunch – Firefly debuts Elytra orbital transfer vehicle line, with first mission planned for 2024

• "Firefly Aerospace debuted a line of orbital vehicles called Elytra on Tuesday, as it looks to become an end-to-end mission services provider for commercial and government customers. The first Elytra will fly on a Firefly Alpha rocket in 2024, part of a rapid-response mission contract with Texas-based startup Xtenti for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)."

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