VALLEY FORGE, Pa. – Already one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s most-experienced providers of solutions for defeating military threats, Lockheed Martin will now team with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to thwart another type of enemy — cyber criminals.

The company has been selected to deliver a full range of technical, functional, and managerial support to the DC3, which provides vital assistance in the investigation of criminal, counterintelligence and counterterrorism matters, as well as cyber security support to Defense Industrial Base partners. The work will be conducted through a task order awarded by the General Services Administration’s Federal Systems Integration and Management Center under the General Services Administration Alliant Contract. The task order has a ceiling value of $454 million if all options are exercised.

“DC3 faces compelling requirements for superior digital forensics and multi-media lab services, related research, development, test and evaluation, and cyber analytics,” said Steve Shirley, executive director of the Center in Linthicum, Md. “Responsive and capable industry mission partners are a significant feature of DC3’s operations. We’re looking forward to a smooth transition as Lockheed Martin becomes a key mission partner, and we’re confident the company’s capabilities will help us succeed in our future challenges.”

The Lockheed Martin team will bring to DC3 its extensive cyber analysis expertise gained through its role in protecting some of the most-sensitive information networks in the world. As the leading IT provider for the federal government 17 consecutive years (Washington Technology), Lockheed Martin also has executed many successful large contract transitions.

“As DC3’s new mission partner, we’re excited to assist the Center as it expands and advances its technical capabilities in support of DoD criminal investigative, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism organizations, and to help safeguard the networks of Defense Industrial Base partners,” said Gerry Fasano, president of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense (IS&GS-Defense).

Because of its size and importance, the DoD is targeted by cyber criminals ranging from terrorists to spies to identity thieves. “Our industry team provides solutions to address a cyber threat environment that is highly dynamic and growing in volume and complexity,” said Dr. Rohan Amin, DC3 program director for Lockheed Martin IS&GS-Defense. “We recognize the uniqueness of the mission and look forward to working with DC3 to address these future challenges.”

Lockheed Martin’s scope of work will include digital and multimedia forensics examination, analysis, research, development, test and evaluation, information technology and cyber analytical services. The primary work will be conducted at DC3 headquarters in Linthicum, Md.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 123,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

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Seattle, Wash. – April 24, 2012 — Planetary Resources, Inc. announced today its plan to mine Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) for raw materials, ranging from water to precious metals. Through the development of cost-effective exploration technologies, the company is poised to initiate prospecting missions targeting resource-rich asteroids that are easily accessible.

Resource extraction from asteroids will deliver multiple benefits to humanity and grow to be valued at tens of billions of dollars annually. The effort will tap into the high concentration of precious metals found on asteroids and provide a sustainable supply to the ever-growing population on Earth.

A single 500-meter platinum-rich asteroid contains the equivalent of all the Platinum Group Metals mined in history. “Many of the scarce metals and minerals on Earth are in near-infinite quantities in space. As access to these materials increases, not only will the cost of everything from microelectronics to energy storage be reduced, but new applications for these abundant elements will result in important and novel applications,” said Peter H. Diamandis, M.D., Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, Inc.

Additionally, water-rich NEAs will serve as “stepping stones” for deep space exploration, providing space-sourced fuel and water to orbiting depots. Accessing water resources in space will revolutionize exploration and make space travel dramatically more economical.

“Water is perhaps the most valuable resource in space. Accessing a water-rich asteroid will greatly enable the large-scale exploration of the solar system. In addition to supporting life, water will also be separated into oxygen and hydrogen for breathable air and rocket propellant,” said Eric Anderson, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, Inc.

Of the approximately 9,000 known NEAs, there are more than 1,500 that are energetically as easy to reach as the Moon. The capability to characterize NEAs is on the critical path for Planetary Resources. To that end, the company has developed the first line in its family of deep-space prospecting spacecraft, the Arkyd-100 Series. The spacecraft will be used in low-Earth orbit and ultimately help prioritize the first several NEA targets for the company’s follow-on Arkyd-300 Series NEA swarm expeditions. Chris Lewicki, President and Chief Engineer, said “Our mission is not only to expand the world’s resource base, but we want to increase people’s access to, and understanding of, our planet and solar system by developing capable and cost-efficient systems.”

“The promise of Planetary Resources is to apply commercial innovation to space exploration. They are developing cost-effective, production-line spacecraft that will visit near-Earth asteroids in rapid succession, increasing our scientific knowledge of these bodies and enabling the economic development of the resources they contain,” said Tom Jones, Ph.D., veteran NASA astronaut, planetary scientist and Planetary Resources, Inc. advisor.

Planetary Resources, Inc. is financed by industry-launching visionaries, including Google CEO Larry Page and Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman of Hillwood and The Perot Group, who are committed to expanding the world’s resource base so that humanity can continue to grow and prosper:

• Eric E. Schmidt, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of Google, Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Planetary Resources, Inc. investor: “The pursuit of resources drove the discovery of America and opened the West. The same drivers still hold true for opening the space frontier. Expanding the resource base for humanity is important for our future.”
• K. Ram Shriram, Founder of Sherpalo, Google Board of Directors founding member and Planetary Resources, Inc. investor: “I see the same potential in Planetary Resources as I did in the early days of Google.”
• Charles Simonyi, Ph.D., Chairman of Intentional Software Corporation and Planetary Resources, Inc. investor: “The commercialization of space began with communications satellites and is developing for human spaceflight. The next logical step is to begin the innovative development of resources from space. I’m proud to be part of this effort.”

Some of the company’s advisors include film maker and explorer James Cameron; General T. Michael Moseley (Ret.); Sara Seager, Ph.D.; Mark Sykes, Ph.D.; and David Vaskevitch.

Founded in 2009 by Eric Anderson and Peter H. Diamandis, M.D., Planetary Resources, Inc. is establishing a new paradigm for resource utilization that will bring the solar system within humanity’s economic sphere of influence by enabling low-cost robotic exploration and eventual commercial development of asteroids. For more information, please visit www.PlanetaryResources.com

“I welcome today’s vote of the European Parliament giving its consent to the new Passenger Name Record Agreement with theUnited States of America. This is an agreement the three EU institutions can be proud of: it provides stronger protection of EU citizens’ right to privacy and more legal certainty for air carriers than the existing EU-U.S. PNR Agreement from 2007. At the same time, it fully meets the security needs of theUnited States of Americaand the EU.

Under the new agreement, data of passengers travelling to thenited States of Americawill be used to fight serious transnational crime and terrorism. It will be made anonymous six months after a passengers’ flight. EU citizens will be informed about the use of their data, and will be able to access and request the correction or deletion of their PNR data. The new agreement is a substantial improvement on the existing Agreement from 2007, and I am pleased that the European Parliament has recognized this today.”

Frequently Asked Questions: Passenger Name Record

Parliament gives green light to air passenger data deal with the US (European Parliament)

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comScore Mobile Travel Advisor Reveals Latest Insights on Mobile Travelers

RESTON, VA – comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a U.S. study on mobile travel activities based on data from the new comScore Travel Advisor report. The results indicate that 51 percent of smartphone owners accessed travel content on their devices during the three month period ending February 2012, with nearly 1 in every 5 smartphone owners using their device to book air travel or hotel reservations.

“The on-the-go convenience of smartphones has facilitated their emergence as an essential companion for travelers,” said Mark Donovan, comScore SVP of mobile. “We all know how hectic a travel experience can be, but smartphones have really stepped in to meet a variety of needs for travelers, such as coordination of schedules, locations, trip itineraries and transactions. With more than half of all smartphone users now engaging with travel content, there has never been a better opportunity for suppliers and OTAs to invest in their mobile strategies to provide a great experience and win loyalty from their customers.”

Smartphones Become Pocket Travel Agents for Growing Number of Americans

During the three month period ending in February 2012, 51 percent of the smartphone audience accessed air and/or hotel content on their device, with 4 in every 5 mobile travelers accessing both air and hotel content. The most popular air travel-related mobile activity was checking airfare prices, in which 26 percent of all smartphone users engaged. Smartphone users were nearly as likely to look up an airline phone number, flight schedules, and check a flight’s status, each of which was conducted by 25 percent of the audience.

While many of the most popular behaviors were consumers seeking information, they also engaged in transactional behavior. 21 percent of smartphone consumers checked in for a flight on their device, while 18 percent booked a flight on their smartphone and 10 percent cancelled a flight.

Among hotel-related mobile activities, looking up hotel address/directions was the most popular (conducted by 29 percent of smartphone owners), followed by researching attractions or things to do near hotel (23 percent). Reading hotel reviews and comparing hotel prices and availability were performed by more than 1 in 5 smartphone owners in the past three months, while 18 percent used their device to book a hotel room.

Males and Younger Audience Segments More Likely to Consume Travel Content

Compared to the average smartphone owner the mobile traveler was more likely to be younger and male, a fairly typical profile for early technology adopters. 62 percent of smartphone owners that accessed travel information were male, compared to 52 percent of the entire smartphone audience, while 78 percent of smartphone travelers were between the ages of 18-44, compared to 63 percent of the total smartphone audience. Mobile travelers tended to have similar income levels compared to the average smartphone owner with approximately half of each audiences residing in households earning at least $75,000 annually.

Donovan continued, “Both OTAs and suppliers need to understand the demographic and behavioral characteristics of these mobile travelers in order to build effective mobile strategies that complement their online presence. Failure to develop a strong mobile presence could result in unsatisfied customers and lost opportunities to convert new audiences, leaving brands vulnerable to competitors who adapt more quickly to addressing consumers’ shifting consumption habits.”

The new comScore Mobile Travel Advisor is a twice-per-year report that focuses on the evolving mobile travel environment, with insights from comScore syndicated products as well as a custom survey.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Raytheon Company’s Space Fence recently completed a comprehensive Preliminary Design Review (PDR) demonstrating the S-band radar’s technical maturity in its ability to detect and track the increasing amount of space debris orbiting the Earth. This debris is proving to be hazardous to the increasing number of military and commercial satellites and other space activity in low and medium orbit, such as the International Space Station.

“We feel confident that Raytheon is offering the U.S. Air Force an affordable, low-risk solution by virtue of mature and advanced technologies we’re employing,” said David Gulla, vice president of Global Integrated Sensors for Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business. “We have applied radar expertise Raytheon has acquired during the past 70 years to build a Space Fence system that detects and tracks resident space objects much smaller than with the system used today.”

Held over a three-month period, the PDR allowed Air Force officials to evaluate all aspects of the program to ensure design and technology readiness as the acquisition moves into the final phase later this year. Work on the current phase of the program is expected to conclude the end of July. The PDR is the culmination of a $107 million U.S. Air Force contract to complete the technology development of a modern space surveillance system serving as the primary means for uncued detection and tracking in low earth orbits, allowing the decommission of the Air Force Space Surveillance System, which has been tracking space debris since the 1960s.

“We’re continuing to identify areas where we can increase the value for the Air Force in terms of advances in technology and affordability to meet current and future demands for situational awareness in space,” said Scott Spence, program director for Space Fence at Raytheon’s IDS business.

Raytheon leads the industry in delivering innovative, affordable and reliable radar solutions, leveraging a 70-year heritage to provide global customers a decisive intelligence edge in all domains. Raytheon produces the world’s broadest range of radar solutions, and continually works to advance radar technologies to deliver enhanced capabilities for warfighters around the world.

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The SMCM UUV system will allow Navy commanders and sailors to detect and identify mines in high-clutter underwater environments without putting sailors in harm’s way, including mines that are suspended in the ocean, resting on the sea floor or buried. Additionally, it will gather environmental data that can provide intelligence support for other mine warfare systems.

“Knifefish represents a major step forward for unmanned undersea technology and will provide sailors with a reliable, safe, cost-efficient capability that is not currently a part of the Navy’s portfolio” said Nadia Short, vice president for Strategy and Business Development at General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. “Our team took advantage of extensive open architecture expertise to develop a design that ensures Knifefish will continue to evolve with the Navy, as mission needs change and advance.”

Knifefish recently completed a successful system requirements review on schedule and will progress through the preliminary design review in May of this year. Knifefish is expected to attain initial operational capability in 2017.

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“Aviation development at Opa-Locka Airport is like a space shot of North Korea at night, 1% eat while 99% starve. Now County and Aviation Managers are shooting street craps with federal grants, betting the house they can beat federal law.” states BMI spokesperson Stephen O’Neal, a former 25 year tenant who had first sought a development lease at Opa-Locka Airport in 1999.

A second and final ruling against Miami-Dade County following the 2008 U.S. Court of Appeals reversal of the FAA with a decision of discrimination by Miami-Dade County would shut down the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) which in turn could contaminate other federal transportation grants. The FAA has given Miami-Dade over $200 million in AIP grants since 2000 and a final ruling of discrimination could trigger federal directives to claw back affected grants with interest.

 In 2009 Aviation Week, A McGraw Hill Publication chronicled the difficulties at the former US Naval Air Station in an article called “The Opa-Locka War” which centered on long term tenants struggles to obtain development leases for their businesses while the County leased out the land from underneath them without bid or notice.

“The economy is often given as the reason by Miami-Dade for a lack of aviation development, rather than the actual cause which is land banking” BMI’s O’Neal explains. ” A close look shows that three small aviation development leases of 34, 22 and one acre, two of which came into existence as a result of litigation, continue to be successful at building new aviation facilities. Whereas the majority of the two 300 plus combined acre aviation development leases that changed hands in 2007 / 2008 have remained undeveloped since 1962 when the County took possession of the airport from the federal government 50 years ago ”

O’Neal shrugs, ” This is all about County and Aviation Managers operating under the influence, not of federal law but 1 %”

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