US Transportation Command officials hosted efficiency experts from Toyota at Scott AFB, Ill., last month to glean commercial best practices from one of the world’s top car manufacturer and apply them to TRANSCOM logistics processes and operations. A command news release noted that Toyota had “developed a successful and systematic approach to doing business which is based on the concept of continuous improvement.” Earlier this year, TRANSCOM took a gander at the Wal-Mart approach.
Small businesses teaming up with nonprofit research institutions have a head start at proposing concepts for mitigating orbital debris and other aspects of on-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing. SpaceWERX director Lt. Col. Walter McMillan said SpaceWERX consulted fellow government entities, academic institutions, startups, small businesses, and major contractors about research…