Op-ed | Space Force: premature or overdue?by Dean Cheng — November 19, 2018 [SN]
This op-ed originally appeared in the Nov. 12, 2018 issue of SpaceNews magazine.
For the Chinese military, space is not about space at all. It is about information — how to ensure the [People’s Liberation Army] gets it, as well as how to ensure that an adversary does not. Credit: Kremlin.Ru photoThe U.S. Space Force isn’t a radical step forward in militarizing the heavens. It is an overdue counter to Russian and Chinese actions.On Oct. 23, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and the National Space Council unanimously recommended the establishment of a U.S. Space Command, followed by a U.S. Space Force. A key factor behind this recommendation, as Pence noted in his remarks, is the rise of counterpart space forces in key potential adversaries, including Russia and China.
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-space-force-premature-or-overdue/How much does a Space Force cost? Analyst lays out menu of optionsby Sandra Erwin — November 19, 2018 [SN]
Todd Harrison, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Credit: CSISCSIS analyst Todd Harrison estimated the cost of three options — a Space Corps, a Space Force Lite and a Space Force Heavy.WASHINGTON — The takeaway from new cost estimates for establishing a new military service for space is that there is no cheap way to build a Space Force.
Todd Harrison, director of defense budget analysis and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, unveiled a highly anticipated report on Monday, detailing cost estimates for standing up a Space Force as a separate military branch. Harrison made headlines in September when he criticized Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson’s estimate — $13 billion over five years to establish a new service and a space command — as overinflated.
https://spacenews.com/how-much-does-a-space-force-cost-analyst-lays-out-menu-of-options/Total cost of a Space Force is hard to pin downby Sandra Erwin — November 21, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.Space newsletter.
A number of lawmakers have said they will oppose the Trump administration’s Space Force plan because of its high cost. This will be no doubt a contentious debate in the next Congress, especially with so many price tags floating around.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson laid down the first marker in September with her $13 billion five-year estimate. Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been more vague. In August, he said a Space Force would cost “billions” and last week he talked about “single digit” billions, suggesting he was projecting a budget that would be lower than Wilson’s. A DoD spokesman told SpaceNews that Shanahan would not disclose the specific numbers until the House Armed Services Committee has a chance to review them.
https://spacenews.com/total-cost-of-a-space-force-is-hard-to-pin-down/Small satellite industry stepping up advocacy in Washingtonby Sandra Erwin — November 21, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.
Small satellites have been hailed as a game changer in the space industry, but the government’s slower than anticipated embrace of smallsat technology has been a disappointment, according to analysts and industry advocates who spoke at the Space Foundation’s “SmallSat Revolution” event on Capitol Hill last week.
“When the smallsat movement started, the thinking was, ’We don’t need the government,’” said Bhavya Lal, a researcher at the IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute, a federally funded think tank. “But over the last five years, almost all the smallsat companies we talked to are eager for government contracts” to make up for lackluster commercial demand, she said. “It’s something they didn’t anticipate.”
https://spacenews.com/small-satellite-industry-stepping-up-advocacy-in-washington/Op-ed | Real talk and real solutions to real space threatsby Brian Weeden — November 26, 2018 [SN]
This op-ed originally appeared in the Nov. 12, 2018 issue of SpaceNews magazine.
Just because Russia and China are building ASAT weapons does not mean ASAT weapons should be the cornerstone of America's response. Credit: iStock photo illustrationIt is difficult to read a story about national security space these days without hearing dire warnings about the ominous threats facing the United States in space and bold proclamations about purported solutions to address them. Unfortunately, while there are indeed real threats the United States faces in space, the political and public discourse about both the threats and solutions leaves much to be desired. Whether it’s due to political maneuvering, ideology, classification or technical complexity, important details and nuances are often glossed over or left out. This a huge problem, as it is critically important that we have a real understanding of the scope, degree, and diversity of the threats facing future use of space so that we can get the solutions to those threats right.
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-real-talk-and-real-solutions-to-real-space-threats/Space Development Agency is priority one for DoD. But what exactly will the SDA do?by Sandra Erwin — November 28, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.Space newsletter.
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he expects a new Space Development Agency to be in place sometime in the first quarter of 2019.
The accelerated schedule reflects his belief that the SDA is an essential piece of the Pentagon’s strategy to leap ahead technologically as China and Russia step up investments in counter-space systems. Both Shanahan and Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin have been staunch advocates of an overhaul in the way DoD procures technology and regard the new space agency as an important catalyst for change.
Critics point out, however, that DoD has yet to explain what the SDA will do or how it will fit with the existing space procurement organizations in the Air Force, the Army, the Navy and the intelligence community.
https://spacenews.com/space-development-agency-is-priority-one-for-dod-but-what-exactly-will-the-sda-do/It’s down to the wire for Space Force legislative proposalby Sandra Erwin — November 29, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.Space newsletter.
The clock is ticking for Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and a team of senior Pentagon officials to complete a legislative proposal that fulfills President Donald Trump’s orders to establish a military branch for space.
Shanahan is scheduled to meet this week with Vice President Mike Pence at the White House to go over the outline of the proposal, according to sources. The meeting could happen as early as Wednesday or Thursday. Neither DoD nor White House spokespersons would confirm the date.
A key issue DoD and the White House have to settle is how to write the legislative blueprint so that it satisfies the president’s directive to set up a Space Force as a separate military department. DoD also wants to include other space reorganization items in the proposal that the president didn’t ask for but that the Pentagon believes are important, such as a combatant command for space and a space agency dedicated to the development and procurement of advanced technology.
https://spacenews.com/its-down-to-the-wire-for-space-force-legislative-proposal/Space Force idea lacks public support, survey revealsby Sandra Erwin — November 30, 2018 [SN]
President Donald Trump, speaks before signing the Presidential Space Directive - 1, directing NASA to return to the moon, in the Roosevelt room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. (Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)The survey shows a deep partisan divide over the Space Force and other national security issues.
LOS ANGELES — President Donald Trump’s calls for a new military branch for space win loud cheers at his political rallies. But the American public at large is not sold on the idea, according to a new survey by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
The survey shows a deep partisan divide over the Space Force and other national security issues. “President Trump’s proposal to create a new U.S. Space Force lacks broad public support,” the foundation reported. “Americans are split down the middle on the idea, with Republicans favoring the idea over Democrats by 2:1.”
https://spacenews.com/space-force-idea-lacks-public-support-survey-reveals/Space Force proposal could create a broader military department for both air and spaceby Sandra Erwin — November 30, 2018 [SN]
The Space Force under this proposed organization would not include the National Reconnaissance Office or any other element of the intelligence community.LOS ANGELES – During a White House meeting on Thursday, Pentagon and administration officials discussed the possibility of establishing a Space Force under a larger Department of the Air and Space Force.
A DoD spokesman confirmed to SpaceNews that a team of Pentagon officials led by Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan floated this idea to Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the administration’s space reorganization efforts. Shanahan is overseeing the drafting of a legislative proposal that will be submitted to the White House in the coming weeks and, once approved, will be sent to Capitol Hill with the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2020.
https://spacenews.com/space-force-proposal-could-create-a-broader-military-department-for-both-air-and-space/Pentagon procurement chief endorses Space Forceby Sandra Erwin — December 1, 2018 [SN]
Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, speaks at the 2018 Reagan National Defense Forum. Credit: RNDFSpace programs today are spread out across multiple military services and agencies, which makes it hard for the Defense Department to develop a unified strategy for investments needed to counter adversaries in space, Ellen Lord said at the 2018 Reagan National Defense Forum.SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — In her first extensive comments about the Trump administration’s plans to establish a new military branch for space, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said a separate space service would help bring “focus and clarity” to space investments.
Space programs today are spread out across multiple military services and agencies, which makes it hard for the Defense Department to develop a unified strategy for investments needed to counter adversaries in space, Lord said on Saturday at the 2018 Reagan National Defense Forum, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
https://spacenews.com/pentagon-procurement-chief-endorses-space-force/Pentagon analyzing possible missions for a new Space Development Agencyby Sandra Erwin — December 4, 2018 [SN]
Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan addresses Pentagon employees at an awards ceremony. CREDIT: Defense DepartmentDoD spokesman: “The intent is to ensure DoD leverages commercial space technology and accelerates the development and delivery of new capabilities."WASHINGTON — Military space programs that are just getting off the ground and are targets for use of commercial technologies might end up in the portfolio of a new DoD agency that could be up and running in early 2019.
https://spacenews.com/pentagon-analyzing-possible-missions-for-a-new-space-development-agency/Smallsat industry hails historic SpaceX rideshare launchby Sandra Erwin — December 4, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.Space newsletter.
After several launch delays, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 on Monday successfully deployed 64 small satellites into orbit. The first stage of the rocket landed on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. The company said this was the first Falcon 9 to be reused three times. The Spaceflight SSO-A SmallSat Express was SpaceX’s 19th mission of the year, already exceeding the 18 mission it flew last year.
https://spacenews.com/smallsat-industry-hails-historic-spacex-rideshare-launch/Wilson: Space will be reorganized but the work must go onby SpaceNews Staff — December 5, 2018 [SN]
Speaking Dec. 3, 2018 at the SpaceNews Awards for Excellence and Innovation, U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson shared this tidbit: “I find most people don’t know what we do in space, and why it really matters to our economy and our military.”
Wilson, the winner of this year’s military space Government Leader of the Year award, reminded the audience that as the Trump administration moves forward with plans to create a new military branch for space — an effort she supports — the Air Force is keeping focused on the space mission.
This video was made possible with support from Intelsat General Corp.https://spacenews.com/wilson-space-will-be-reorganized-but-the-work-must-go-on/After two-year defense buildup, Pentagon still lags in technology innovationby Sandra Erwin — December 5, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.Space newsletter.
At the Reagan National Defense Forum and the West Coast Aerospace Forum this weekend, analysts and former defense officials roundly criticized the Pentagon for lacking a solid plan to modernize capabilities in areas where China and Russia are advancing, such as hypersonic weapons, space systems and cyber warfare.
The Pentagon is “fixing readiness but it’s not a program that points to a culture of innovation,” said Kathleen Hicks, senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The National Defense Strategy “maps out our emergence from strategic atrophy, expands the competitive space with our adversaries, and rebuilds our military advantage,” Defense Secretary James Mattis said in a keynote speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
https://spacenews.com/after-two-year-defense-buildup-pentagon-still-lags-in-technology-innovation/Department of the Air and Space Force? Catch up on Space Force developments this weekby Sandra Erwin — December 6, 2018 [SN]
This article was first published in the SN Military.Space newsletter.
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR AND SPACE FORCE? President Trump has been insistent that a Space Force should be a completely independent military department. One way to organize the new service would be by establishing a Space Force under a larger Department of the Air and Space Force, according to sources. That idea was discussed last week at a White House meeting. The challenge for the White House is ensuring that the legislative proposal that goes to Capitol Hill next year gets enough support so it is not dead on arrival. Democrats are widely opposed to establishing a new service. The proposal would have to be specific about the scope of the Space Force as that would determine how much money the Pentagon has to request in the fiscal year 2020 budget.
https://spacenews.com/department-of-the-air-and-space-force-catch-up-on-space-force-developments-this-week/Griffin: Pentagon ‘scrambling’ to figure out space reorganizationby Sandra Erwin — December 6, 2018 [SN]
Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dec. 7. Credit: Jeff Foust, SpaceNewsUndersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin: “How things shake out over the next year or two, I can’t predict.”WASHINGTON — At a gathering of space executives and policy experts on Thursday, Pentagon officials mostly sidestepped the Space Force issue. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin said he was not intentionally dodging the question but he simply does not know when or how a new military branch will be organized.
https://spacenews.com/griffin-pentagon-scrambling-to-figure-out-space-reorganization/Incoming HASC Chairman to oppose creating a separate military branch for spaceby Sandra Erwin — December 12, 2018 [SN]
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. Credit: C-SpanRep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.): "We will have a conversation within our committee about the best way to place a greater emphasis on space."WASHINGTON — There is “bipartisan concern” that standing up a Space Force as a separate military service is wasteful and not the best way to address space security challenges, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told reporters on Wednesday.
Smith is expected to take the chairman’s gavel from Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) in the next Congress. Although he previously supported legislation to create a Space Corps within the Air Force, Smith came out against President Trump’s idea to establish a Space Force as an independent branch.
https://spacenews.com/incoming-hasc-chairman-to-oppose-creating-a-separate-military-branch-for-space/