AFRL picks 3 contractors for JETSON effort to develop fission powered spacecraft
The Space Force sees nuclear fission reactors as a solution to replace solar panels for operations in the darkness of deep space.
DARPA
Boeing Wins Phase 2 Of DARPA Hypersonic Defense Interceptor
Boeing [BA] won a $70.5 million contract to develop and test technologies for the second phase of the Defense Advanced Research projects Agency’s (DARPA) counter-hypersonic missile interceptor program, Glide Breaker. […]
Boeing nabs DARPA contract for hypersonic interceptor testing
Under its Glide Breaker project, DARPA wants to develop a prototype kill vehicle to intercept incoming hypersonic vehicles in their glide phase, before they begin high-speed maneuvers.
General Atomics LongShot drone for DARPA to start flight tests in December
DARPA views LongShot — an unmanned aircraft system dropped from a bomber or fighter that can launch missiles of its own — a potentially useful for both the Air Force and Navy.
3 ways DARPA aims to tame ‘strategic chaos’ with AI
Combat is too complicated and chaotic for existing AI to analyze, and DARPA is trying to figure out the best way to combine algorithms with human expertise.
White House Announces AI Cybersecurity Challenge
At Black Hat last week, the White House announced an AI Cyber Challenge. Gizmodo reports:
The new AI cyber challenge (which is being abbreviated “AIxCC”) will have a number of different phases. Interested would-be competitors can now submit their proposals to the Small Business Innovation Research program for evaluation and, eventually, selected teams will participate in a 2024 “qualifying event.” During that event, the top 20 teams will be invited to a semifinal competition at that year’s DEF CON, another large cybersecurity conference, where the field will be further whittled down…
Detecting “Violations of Social Norms” in Text with AI
Researchers are trying to use AI to detect “social norms violations.” Feels a little sketchy right now, but this is the sort of thing that AIs will get better at. (Like all of these systems, anything but a very low false positive rate makes…
White House launches AI Cyber Challenge to make software more secure
The Biden-Harris Administration has launched a major two-year competition using AI to protect the United States’ most important software, such as code that helps run the internet and critical infrastructure. The AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) will challeng…
DARPA, White House launch $20M AI, cybersecurity challenge
The Biden administration also unveiled a new executive order targeting US investment in Chinese AI, quantum and microelectronic tech.
DARPA, NASA tap Lockheed Martin to design, build DRACO nuclear rocket for deep space missions
The Space Force is interested in DRACO primarily as an option for allowing it to undertake rapid on-orbit maneuvers, but also for potential future missions out to the Moon, Mars and beyond.