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Hosted Payload Episode 8: Priya Venkat / A Million Miles Away
[IP Hot Topics Podcast] Innovation Conversations: Allen Chen
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | KATHERINE JOHNSON AND CHARLES DREW
Good Afternoon! The past couple of weeks felt a little like U.S. space policy stepped back to 1969. Sen. Ted Cruz channeled John Fogerty to warn about the space race with China and appeared to lean into U.S. government-owned...more
On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the Department of Defense (“DoD”), General Services Administration, and NASA issued a final rule increasing certain acquisition-related thresholds. Effective October 1, 2025, the increased...more
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council issued a final rule adjusting numerous acquisition-related thresholds for inflation as required under 41 U.S.C. § 1908....more
The Trump administration’s new Executive Order formally adopts a policy to “enhance American greatness in space.” The EO directs streamlining and reform efforts in four key areas—commercial launch and reentry, spaceport...more
David Bowie’s hit song "Space Oddity," about the fictional astronaut Major Tom, was released as a single in 1969. Environmental impact statements (EIS) for rocket launches in the US were not required at that time. Rocket...more
President Donald Trump on August 13, 2025 signed an executive order aimed at streamlining federal review of commercial space launches and establishing a new framework for novel space missions. The order, titled Enabling...more
Aims to streamline commercial license and permit approvals for United States-based commercial space industry operators. Directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to use all available authorities to streamline or remove...more
It is the Federal Government’s policy that, when available and practicable, a Government contractor should obtain a tariff duty exemption. This is common sense. A tariff duty makes a contract more expensive for the...more
The Trump Administration recently issued a new Executive Order titled "Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base." The directive, announced April 9, 2025, aims to reform the...more
Good Afternoon! Space developments have kept a steady pace these past two weeks. NASA terminated $420 million in contracts to align with DOGE’s cost-cutting push. The U.S. Space Force plans to launch 100+ satellites in...more
The Trump Administration on March 20, 2025, issued an executive order titled "Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement" (the EO), which will result in a major change in the landscape of...more
Congress is prioritizing new legislation to authorize NASA and support commercial space activities. The proposed bills aim to maintain a vibrant commercial space sector by streamlining licensing regulations and ensuring that...more
For space, defense, and industrial technology companies, securing government contracts is often a major growth milestone. But without a clear IP strategy, working with agencies like NASA or the Department of Defense (DoD) can...more
On January 15, the Department of Defense, GSA, and NASA published proposed rules that would implement the Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act. The Act was enacted on December 27, 2022....more
The incoming Trump administration has sent many signals that it intends to ramp up the Department of Defense’s use of nontraditional acquisition pathways to bridge the “Valley of Death” and bring innovative technologies to...more
Good Afternoon! U.S. Chamber launches space leadership council, Crew 9 has to stay…just a little bit longer, and new executive orders spur reviews, revisions and other activity across U.S. space agencies, and Akin’s Micheal...more
Generally speaking, the U.S. procurement system allows companies competing for U.S. government contracts broad rights to challenge contract awards, as well as the terms of solicitations. There are, however, restrictions...more
In 2024, as in years past, healthcare fraud enforcement by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) was substantial. Federal actions under the False Claims Act (FCA) alone resulted in $1.67 billion in settlements and judgments...more
On January 15, 2025, the Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (collectively, “the FAR Council”) issued a long-anticipated proposed...more
A contractor who is proposed for debarment is effectively debarred as soon as the notice letter is received. It is like being sentenced before trial and it can take weeks, or months, for the contractor to convince the...more
On January 3, 2025, the Defense Department, GSA, and NASA (together, the "FAR Council") published its final rule amending the suspension and debarment procedures under the Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR"). The rule,...more
Good Afternoon! NORAD may not have fired up the Santa Tracker just yet, but the first two weeks of December have been chock full of presents for the space industry, with the FAA digging into licensing reform, NASA deciding...more
In 2023, PilieroMazza reported on Myriddian, LLC v. U.S. where the Court of Federal Claims interpreted Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause 52.204-7 to require that offerors maintain an active SAM (System for Award...more
On November 29, 2024, the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (together, the "FAR Council") issued a proposed rule to adjust for inflation several...more
Whistleblower Watch is a critical resource for in-house counsel and compliance professionals. Each quarter, Cozen O’Connor summarizes the most notable False Claims Act (FCA) enforcement actions, settlements, and legal trends,...more