BIS Announces Survey to Study Space Industrial Base Supply Chains
The Bureau of Industry and Security is preparing a mandatory survey for hundreds of U.S. space companies, suppliers and researchers to collect data on supply chains used by the U.S. space industrial base, the agency said this week. The effort -- which is a partnership among BIS, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- will help the agencies “identify the structure and interdependencies” of the space industrial base, especially those that work with NASA or NOAA.
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“This effort will enable NASA and NOAA to understand and respond to supply chain deficiencies and disruptions related to diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages (DMSMS), foreign sourcing and dependencies, cyber security incidents, critical minerals and materials, COVID-19 pandemic impacts, and other challenges,” the agencies said in a news release. It also will allow the government and U.S. companies “to better monitor trends, benchmark industry performance, and raise awareness of potential issues of concern.”
The surveys will be sent to organizations participating in “non-military/DOD space-related work” that supports NASA, NOAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FCC and the Energy Department. The organizations may be prime contractors, commercial businesses, federally funded research and development centers, universities or laboratories.
The agencies said this survey is a “a one-time information collection” performed by the BIS Office of Technology Evaluation, although “similar assessments were performed in the past and may be necessary in the future.” Agencies will use the survey to gain insight into supply chain impacts resulting from mergers and acquisitions, advances in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, the impacts of export controls and more.