Short Takes – 6-9-25

Trump cyber executive order takes aim at prior orders, secure software, more. CyberScoop.com article. Pull quote: ““President Trump has made it clear that this Administration will do what it takes to make America cyber secure — including focusing relentlessly on technical and organizational professionalism to improve the security and resilience of the nation’s information systems and networks,” the fact sheet states. The administration has triggered bipartisan concern about cuts to the budget of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.” No text of the EO is yet available.

Starliner future plans still in limbo. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “NASA has relied on SpaceX for crew transportation for five years, but has continued to argue that it wants two operating commercial crew vehicles to provide redundancy should either experience a problem. The important of that redundancy was highlighted by a brief threat by SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk to “decommission” Dragon June 5 during a dispute with President Trump. While Musk quickly withdrew the threat, which may never have been serious, it demonstrated the reliance NASA has on SpaceX for ISS transportation.”

Sierra Space awarded Lunar logistics contract by NASA. SatNews.com article. Pull quote: “Notably in April, Sierra Space announced the completion of successful hypervelocity impact trials conducted at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to optimize the structural integrity of Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat space station technology. This included use of NASA’s .50 caliber two-stage light gas gun to replicate micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) impacts to LIFE’s outer shield, to prepare the space station of use on-orbit.”

SpaceX fires up Super Heavy booster ahead of Starship's 10th test flight. Space.com article. Pull quote: “The company performed a long-duration "static fire" test with Super Heavy, Starship's huge first-stage booster, at its Starbase site in South Texas on Friday (June 6).”

FAA to eliminate floppy disks used in air traffic control systems - Windows 95 also being phased out. TomsHardware.com article. Pull quote: “Unfortunately, upgrading the ATC system isn’t as simple as popping into your nearby Micro Center and buying the latest and greatest gaming PC. First and foremost, some systems can never be shut down because it is crucial for safety. Because of this, you can’t just switch off one site to swap out ancient components for newer ones. Aside from that, the upgrades to this critical infrastructure should be resistant to hacking and other vulnerabilities, as even a single breach could cripple the nation, costing time, money, and lives.”

A long-shot plan to mine the Moon comes a little closer to reality. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “Meyerson said the company's current plan is to fly a prospecting mission in 2027, a payload of less than 100-kg, likely on a commercial lander that is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Two years later the company seeks to fly a pilot plant. Meyerson said the size of this plant will depend on the launch capability available (i.e. if Starship is flying to the Moon, they'll go big, and smaller if not).”

Donald Trump vs. California (and everywhere else). WashingtonPost.com commentary. Pull quote: “That was not how members of the Trump administration described what was underway. Miller referred to isolated scenes of conflict as an “insurrection” over and over and over and over again. While this could be understood as an effort to reclaim the term from its application to the pro-Trump violence that occurred at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, it was probably more immediately an effort to till the soil for an invocation of the Insurrection Act of 1807 — a presidential deployment of the military within the United States.”

Is China’s BeiDou a weapon of war? SpaceNews.com commentary. Pull quote: “In short, it’s not a Trojan horse. It’s a soft power tool. And despite its strategic implications, the idea that BeiDou is being used as an active weapon of war doesn’t hold up under technical scrutiny.”

Rep. Mark Green Retires from the U.S. House of Representatives. MarkGreen.house.gov press release. Green is Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee. Pull quote: ““It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up. As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package.”