Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET's space and emerging technology reporter. She previously covered the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force for Inside Defense.
The Space Force hasn’t finalized its plans for Phase 3 of its National Security Space Launch program, but its new acquisition executive said this week it is considering the possibility of including more launch vehicle classes as part of the contract.
“We place a lot of demands on that community, and those demands are not always aligned with the resources that they have,” one committee staff member said. “This is geared towards shining a light on some of the shortfalls.”
The review, which should be finished in the next few months, will consider what mix of offensive and defensive space capabilities the Pentagon and the intelligence community should operate and what details about those capabilities should be classified.
The report, which questions the credibility of the SPACECOM headquarters selection process, is one of two reviews directed by Congress and comes nearly 18 months after Alabama was chosen to host the combatant command.
During industry meetings this week, program managers will hear from companies about capabilities they're developing to address tactical ISR capability needs.
DIU plans to launch a demonstration mission in 2027, showcasing the advantages of nuclear-powered spacecraft for maneuver operations in cislunar space.
The Pentagon's chief technology officer says addressing the lab and testing infrastructure gap is a top priority, but most of this year's unfunded facilities projects are too early in the design process for Congress to consider.
Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said this week the Defense Innovation Unit has "very strong support" within the Department of Defense.