APOGEE STAFF
Breaking down walls that hamper interoperability between the military and its commercial partners is one goal established by the U.S. Department of Defense in its first Commercial Space Integration Strategy, released in April 2024.
As the People’s Republic of China ramps up its space defense capabilities, the current U.S. National Defense Strategy directs the military to make greater use of commerce for its technological innovation and speed. Among areas where private industry is leading the way in space operations are launch, space situational awareness and Earth imaging.
The Pentagon’s new commercial space strategy calls for integrating commercial solutions whenever possible into the 13 mission areas of national security space, including electromagnetic warfare and spacecraft operations. The strategy identifies four foundational principles: Balance government and commercial solutions while avoiding overreliance on any single provider; strengthen government and commercial interoperability without stifling commercial innovation, speed or scale; emphasize resilience by seeking out more commercial providers, supply chains and solutions; and show responsible conduct in accordance with international standards and the Pentagon’s Tenets of Responsible Behavior in Space. One week later, the U.S. Space Force released its own Commercial Space Strategy, aligned with the DOD strategy.
In a letter introducing the DOD document, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin said, “Integrating commercial solutions, as opposed to merely augmenting existing government systems, will require a shift in approach within the department. Leaders at all levels need to be aware of and work to eliminate the structural, procedural, and cultural barriers to overcoming legacy practices and preconceived notions of how the commercial sector can support national security.”