WASHINGTON – The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Directorate urged space industry leaders not to underestimate the U.S. Space Force's efforts to introduce commercial products and services, although some challenges remain.
“The Space Force may be a newcomer, but it is leading the way when it comes to introducing commercial innovation,” said Steven “Bucky” Buttow, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Space Portfolio Director.
The DIU is a Department of Defense agency that works with the private sector. Its status was elevated last year to help the Department of Defense quickly gain access to commercial companies with promising technology. The agency's research and technology division, which previously reported to the undersecretary of defense, now reports directly to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Speaking at the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, Calif., on Feb. 7, Butow said the Space Force is opening the door and giving companies a chance to show what they can do. But he cautioned that the path to successful commercial integration within the Space Force will not be smooth.
He said traditional procurement processes and complex Department of Defense regulations continue to create hurdles for non-traditional procurements. Additionally, military budgets often prioritize established “record-breaking programs,” making it difficult to allocate funds to new initiatives.
Buto argued that the industry needs to be realistic about the challenge, but that the Space Force is serious about change.
Satellite image procurement
One initiative that appears to be gaining traction involves sourcing satellite imagery from commercial companies, Butou said.
“We have fought hard to ensure that the Space Force becomes the executive branch of access to commercial remote sensing information used by all services,” he said.
Military units typically do not purchase satellite imagery directly from commercial suppliers, as imagery procurement is handled by the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
But field commanders want more direct access to images from the dozens of commercial satellites monitoring the Earth, Butou said.
Obtaining images through intelligence community channels takes too long, so the Space Force is trying to come up with faster options, he said. “With remote sensing, when you take a picture of something, its value diminishes disproportionately over time,” Butow pointed out. If a customer needs an image now, and they don't finally get it in hours or days, “there's no need to pay more for it.”
“Early signs and warnings are important for national security,” Butou said. “The sooner you know something, the more time you have to make a decision, especially if you want to have diplomatic options or other ways to mitigate a disaster.”
Butou said the Pentagon has a working relationship with the intelligence community, “but that doesn't mean everything we do with commercial space sensing groups has to go through the IC.” .
For data involved in intelligence architecture, “there's a lot of policy involved in getting that data back, and that's very problematic when you're working with partners around the world,” he said.
In an ideal world, Butow said, the Space Force would “create a credit card, buy commercial imagery from a commercial satellite company, and use it in a tactical environment.”
Space Force Commercial Strategy
Industry executives who spoke space news He declined to give his name, but said he would like to see more details about the Space Force's plans in a commercial strategic blueprint currently being drafted by the office of Gen. Chance Saltzman, the Space Force's chief of space operations.
“This could be a true breakthrough in remote sensing, allowing commercial companies to work directly with warfighters to provide timely data from space,” one executive said. Ta.
Efforts to procure satellite imagery are underway by the Space Force's Commercial Space Office (COMSO).
The Space Force is working with the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to ensure a framework that meets the needs of warfighter command without conflicting with authorities. The military operates under Title 10 legal authority, which governs tactical operations and activities, while intelligence agencies utilize Title 50 authority, which governs strategic intelligence activities.
“It's about fusing data from all available commercial means to give warfighters an edge,” said another executive.
