USSF Commercial Space Strategy

U.S. Space Force Commercial Space Strategy

Department of the Air Force 2

Executive Summary

The threats the United States faces from its strategic competitors have grown substantially. At

the same time, the environment is being shaped by a rapidly growing commercial space sector,

which is cultivating an ecosystem of innovation and reducing barriers to entry to deliver new,

operationally relevant capabilities. This has extraordinary implications for global security and

stability.

The United States Space Force (USSF) will be more resilient and capable if it combines organic

capabilities with the capabilities from other providers. Therefore, the USSF will integrate a mix

of organic, allied, and commercial space solutions into hybrid architectures where the nation’s

space capabilities truly are greater than the sum of the parts.

The USSF will leverage the commercial sector’s innovative capabilities, scalable production, and

rapid technology refresh rates to enhance the resilience of national security space architectures,

strengthen deterrence, and support Combatant Commander objectives in times of peace,

competition, crisis, conflict, and post-conflict.

This strategy is in direct support of U.S. national policy and strategy, including the Department

of Defense (DoD) Commercial Space Integration Strategy (2024), United States Novel Space

Sector Authorization and Supervision Framework (2023), National Security Strategy (2022),

National Defense Strategy (2022), National Military Strategy (2022), United States Space

Priorities Framework (2021), and the National Space Policy (2020).

Implementing the USSF Commercial Space Strategy (CSS) will increase the competitive

advantage of the United States and its partners by leveraging the operational capability and

capacity of the commercial sector and compelling changes in the capability development

process. The legacy space enterprise believed it could best manage risk by the government

owning and operating most of the U.S. military’s space capabilities. As the Secretary of Defense

has indicated, that mindset is no longer valid.

While recognizing Congress’s direction that the military may not rely solely on commercial

systems for certain operational requirements (2022 National Defense Authorization Act,

Sec.1607), wherever possible, the USSF will leverage the use of commercial space solutions and

integrate them into its architectures and force offerings to ensure the Joint Force maintains an

advantage over strategic competitors.

The DoD provides four guiding principles that this strategy will employ in pursuit of

commercial space solutions (as described in the 2024 DoD Commercial Space Integration

Strategy (CSIS)):

1. Balance – The USSF will appropriately balance government and commercial solutions while

avoiding overreliance on any single provider or solution.

2. Interoperability – Military standards and procedures should strengthen interoperability

between government and commercial solutions without stifling commercial sector innovation,

speed, or scale; commercial standards and interfaces for future purpose-built systems will be

adopted to facilitate integration when appropriate.

3. Resilience – Integration will strengthen resilience by increasing the number of commercial

providers, diversifying supply chains, and expanding the variety and number of solutions used.

Selected commercial solutions must be resilient themselves, particularly against cyber threats.

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4. Responsible Conduct – Use of solution is legally and ethically compliant and consistent with

international norms and standards and the DoD Tenets of Responsible Behavior in Space.

These principles will guide and influence the USSF’s decision-making whenever it considers

using commercial space solutions.

The USSF will implement this strategy through the following lines of effort (LOEs):

LOE #1 – Collaborative Transparency

LOE #2 – Operational and Technical Integration

LOE #3 – Risk Management

LOE #4 – Secure the Future

These LOEs align with the 2024 DoD CSIS key priorities and will be further examined in the

main body of this strategy.

Strategic Environment and Commercial Sector Context

The United States is currently in an era of Great Power Competition. The threats that the United

States faces from its strategic competitors have grown substantially in number and intensity. As

highlighted in the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, both the

People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation have fielded reversible and non-

kinetic means against the space systems of the United States and its allies and partners, as well as

deployed kinetic counterspace capabilities that can target U.S. space systems in all orbital

regimes. Russia’s attack against Ukraine has illustrated its preparedness to employ counterspace

capabilities as well as its willingness to attack commercial space systems. At the same time, as

the PRC’s and Russia’s space and counterspace capabilities mature, both have established

separate space forces and are integrating the use of space capabilities into their military planning

and exercises.

Against this backdrop, the USSF must create a strategic advantage and support the operational

objectives of Joint Force commanders. The 2022 National Defense Strategy directs that the DoD

“will increase collaboration with the private sector in priority areas, especially with the

commercial space industry, leveraging its technological advancements and entrepreneurial spirit

to enable new capabilities.” Furthermore, the 2024 DoD CSIS aligns Department-wide

integration of commercial space solutions and the USSF CSS lays out a strategy for leveraging

commercial capacity to improve the resiliency and lethality of the Nation’s space capabilities.

The strategic space environment remains driven, in part, by national security and civil needs.

However, mature and emerging commercial space solutions offer opportunities for the USSF to

explore new avenues for meeting its requirements. The commercial sector in the United States is

now developing solutions that were previously only pursued by the government, such as

proliferated commercial low Earth orbit capabilities and on-orbit servicing, assembly, and

manufacturing. U.S. launch providers also continue to innovate and improve access to and

return from space. Most, if not all, of these commercial space solutions are available as services

with agile timelines from contracting to execution truly operating at the “speed of need.”

Moreover, the United States enjoys many other benefits from organizations of all sizes in the

commercial sector – from reduced costs made possible by current and emerging private space

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actors to job creation in areas including manufacturing, transportation, logistics, agriculture,

finance, communications, and cyber.

Beyond these direct benefits, this ecosystem of innovation provides opportunities for the United

States' Allies and partners to further cooperate with the U.S. space sector at a time when strategic

competitors actively seek to leverage their capabilities by courting the international community.

U.S. national interests are furthered when the U.S. space sector thrives and when the United

States is the country of choice for international space investment.

The Space Force and the Nation become stronger through the effective integration of commercial

space solutions during times of peace, competition, crisis, conflict, and post-conflict. The USSF

must act with forethought on how best to integrate commercial space solutions, putting in place

controls that address its anticipated surge requirements and other wartime capabilities throughout

the competition continuum. For example, when the U.S. government requires priority access to

space capacity and to augment owned systems, the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve

(CASR) is a framework allowing the USSF to accomplish the necessary transition throughout

this continuum by entering into pre-negotiated contractual agreements which would be activated

in times of crisis or conflict.

Additionally, organizations like the USSF Joint Commercial Operations cell (JCO) strengthen

continuity with Allies, partners, academia, and the commercial sector. The JCO was established

as a consortium of commercial companies synergistically operating together with Allies to

actively monitor the space environment and solve pressing space problems in support of the

space superiority mission. The JCO continues to seek diverse participants to support established

and emerging missions including Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (SRT); Non-Earth

Imaging (NEI); Cooperative Jamming and Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI); Data

Exploitation and Enhanced Processing (DEEP); Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT); and

Space-based Radio Frequency (RF).

Purpose and Scope

This strategy details how the Department of the Air Force and USSF will execute its

responsibilities related to the 2024 DoD CSIS. It serves to frame that Service-level activities

needed to increase U.S. competitive advantage by integrating commercial space solutions to

support Joint and Combined operations. It directs Guardians to implement the four LOEs to

optimize commercial integration and provides a demand signal to the commercial sector on

where their capabilities are needed most to create structures that enable robust engagements.

Purpose. The purpose of this strategy is to complement OSD’s effort to maximize the benefits

of integrating commercial space solutions to increase U.S. competitive advantage and support

Central Theme

The United States Space Force will take full advantage of the speed, innovation, and

capabilities offered by the commercial sector to create strategic advantage and support

Combatant Commander objectives in times of peace, competition, crisis, conflict, and post-

conflict.

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Joint and Combined operations. It outlines our new mindset and approach, describes proposal

evaluation criteria, prioritizes missions where commercial space is desired, and defines key terms

to enhance collaboration across stakeholder segments. Furthermore, it directs and empowers

Guardians to implement the goals and actions described in this strategy in alignment with USSF

guidance and policy while informing the commercial sector, and U.S. Allies and partners.

Scope. This strategy reimagines existing organize, train, and equip functions and ongoing

practical efforts to incorporate commercial space solutions, goods, services, and activities more

fully. It focuses on mission areas and functions along space, link, and ground segments that are

considered commercially supportable.

Audience. The primary audiences for this strategy are USSF Guardians and the commercial

sector. However, this strategy is also meant to inform our sister services, U.S. Allies and

partners, the U.S. Executive Branch, and the U.S. Congress.

Consideration Criteria. In concert with DoD policy and guidelines, the following four criteria

will inform USSF decision-making related to the utilization of commercial space solutions:

• Operational Utility – Does the capability, good, service, or activity provide a capability or

requirement needed, in part or in whole, for USSF operations in support of a Joint or

Combined campaign?

• Feasibility – Is the cost to acquire and exploit the capability, good, service, or activity of

sufficient value and at a cost level that the USSF is prepared to resource?

• Resilience by Design – Does the capability, good, service, or activity contribute to

resilience and secure an enduring competitive advantage?

• Speed to Fielding – Does the timeline to effective use of the capability, good, service, or

activity provide an advantage in enabling operations or counteracting a threat?

Opportunities for Industry

The USSF will work with commercial sector partners to better integrate commercial space

solutions into the national security space architecture. This strategy highlights mission areas,

priorities, and approach to commercial integration to provide a demand signal where commercial

space solutions best fit.

For the purposes of this strategy, mission areas considered for commercial support will be

subdivided into Space Domain Awareness (SDA); Satellite Communications (SATCOM); Space

Access, Mobility, and Logistics (SAML); Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) –

hereafter referred to as Tactical, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT); Space-

based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM); Cyberspace Operations; Command and Control (C2);

and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT). Additionally, the USSF will seek hybrid

solutions for Space Mission Enablers, those functions that span multiple missions and are

fundamental to conducting space operations. Although the USSF also performs missile warning,

combat power projection, electromagnetic warfare, and nuclear detonation (NUDET) detection,

the USSF is not currently seeking commercial support for these missions.

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These missions are detailed within LOE #2. The USSF’s priority missions for new

commercial integration are TacSRT; SBEM; PNT; and SAML; as well as the continued

integration of commercial space solutions into mature missions like SATCOM, Launch,

and SDA. These priorities are the demand signal to industry of the USSF’s commitment to

“buying what we can.” Even in mission areas where certain activities have been traditionally

performed by the government, commercial space solutions can and will be considered to support

and augment government capabilities.

The USSF understands barriers to entry traditionally preventing some companies and solutions

from being integrated into operations. The USSF will update processes to ease that integration

as much as possible. The USSF recognizes that in some mission areas, it can rapidly buy mature

commercial space solutions that have a broad customer base, while in other mission areas, the

government will serve, at least temporarily, as an anchor customer. Supporting a broad industry

base, while separate from operationally urgent needs, will be accounted for in the Service’s

future funding requests to ensure competitive advantage.

Because the USSF requires cross-cutting capabilities and services such as decision support

software and tools, rapid prototyping, artificial intelligence, data management, ground support,

and modeling and simulation, small and large companies alike have significant opportunities to

partner with the service. Many companies that are not traditionally considered part of the space

sector can provide some or all these valuable cross-cutting capabilities. The USSF seeks a

variety of goods, services, and activities that support and integrate into a multifaceted hybrid

space architecture. These hybrid space architectures required in force designs will better

integrate commercial space solutions, allowing the commercial sector to support the USSF to

meet partial or full mission needs.

To improve commercial integration efforts, the USSF requires greater situational awareness of

commercial space solutions. Guardians will build institutional processes to balance missions,

needs, and opportunities for commercial integration with that situational awareness in mind. The

USSF will conduct future industry engagements to improve transparency of investment

intentions and enhance two-way communication regarding commercial integration. Guardians

will continue to partner with the commercial sector, to improve integration efforts and further

accelerate U.S. competitive advantage.

Desired End States

Each USSF Field Command (FLDCOM) and Direct Reporting Unit (DRU) will use the CSS to

guide integrated activities. Tasks will be performed by USSF Headquarters Staff, a FLDCOM, a

DRU, or a U.S. Air Force-supporting organization (by request) to improve operational or

institutional activities for integrating commercial space solutions. The USSF will also integrate

the requirements of other Military Services into its commercial space utilization plans. Goals are

the known, measured, and scoped achievements indicating progress toward the end states

detailed below. Each organization will implement the USSF CSS per the direction of its

commanders and directors.

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Force Offering. The commercial sector and commercial space solutions will be included in

Space Force-provided capabilities to meet Combatant Command needs as part of a hybrid

architecture for increased capacity and capability.

Transparency. Guardians, at all levels, understand current commercial efforts across their

mission areas, along with the commercial sector awareness to understand the full range of

potential capabilities across these mission areas.

Culture. Guardians are commercial-minded and include the commercial sector as a part of the

USSF operational culture consistent with the Department of the Air Force’s longstanding

commitment to ethical conduct in working with the commercial sector. The USSF culture must

also move towards a “buy” and “exploit” model and away from a primary “build” model to the

maximum extent possible and appropriate.

Resourcing. Current funding levels and annual budgeting requests must evolve to achieve the

desired end states. As hybrid architectures are integrated into USSF force designs, budgets will

be realigned and reprioritized to fully support their fielding. Likewise, as the CSS matures, the

USSF will make any necessary organizational adjustments to fully leverage the operational

benefits gained by hybrid architectures.

Integration. The USSF ensures proper and timely integration of commercial space solutions

into its day-to-day operations, supporting a range of mission areas. This includes incorporating

the commercial sector in wargames, exercises, and training, as well as overcoming internal

structural and cultural barriers related to a historic overreliance on exquisite government

systems.

Collaboration. The USSF continually engages with Allies, partners, industry, national leaders,

regional leaders, and global commercial sector stakeholders, and leads space engagement

activities where appropriate.

Approach

The USSF will maximize the potential benefits of integrating commercial space solutions by

pursuing the four key LOE’s. Each LOE has specific goals and immediate actions to enable

commercial integration in USSF space architectures.

LOE #1 – Collaborative Transparency

Description: The USSF will actively seek commercial space solutions to increase integrated

deterrence by fielding of diverse, resilient, proliferated satellite constellations, and distributed

space architectures. Building partnerships and collaborating with the commercial sector will

enable the sustainable expansion and integration of commercial space solutions across the

spectrum of conflict. The USSF will enhance its competitive advantage by developing a

comprehensive understanding of the commercial sector’s innovative culture, shorter

development timelines, and a burgeoning array of commercial space solutions to the greatest

extent practicable.

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This LOE emphasizes that the success of this strategy relies on effective engagement and

persistent collaboration across the DoD, U.S. government interagency, commercial sector, Allies,

and partners to secure necessary, enduring resources and support from both domestic and foreign

sources.

Outreach with industry associations, think tanks, and academia will be a continual effort, so the

implementation of this strategy can be best informed by emerging technologies and changing

policy trends.

Immediate Goal: The USSF will enhance its awareness of commercial space solutions to

understand market trends, recognize and mitigate undue barriers to collaboration, and identify

capabilities the USSF should integrate into space architectures.

As part of the Force Design process, the USSF will identify requirements that can, should, and

will be met by commercial space solutions within each mission area. Where Force Designs are

still in progress, Program Executive Officers (PEOs), in concert with the Commercial Space

Office (COMSO), are encouraged to work with operations, testing, and training to identify

commercial opportunities that can meet existing requirements.

The USSF will also leverage existing and emerging opportunities to integrate Guardians into the

commercial sector to exchange best practices, identify creative solutions to operational problems,

and build a mutual understanding of evolving mission requirements and possibilities.

Office of Primary Responsibility: The Chief Strategy and Resourcing Officer (CSRO), with

support from the COMSO, will serve as the Office of Primary Responsibility (OPR) for LOE #1.

In coordination with DAF stakeholders, the CSRO will develop regional and national

relationships to gain support and resources to further integrate commercial space solutions.

Detailed tasks for LOE #1 will be captured in a subsequent planning order (PLANORD).

LOE #2 – Operational and Technical Integration

Description: The USSF will operationally integrate commercial space solutions into a hybrid

space architecture. This LOE includes developing the policies, processes, and procedures that

allow the commercial sector to integrate data and hardware with the USSF and will require unity

of effort between USSF and the Joint Force when conducting missions involving employment of

hybrid architectures.

USSF mission areas considered suitable for commercial integration are detailed below. Those

higher on the list indicate missions where 1) commercial space solutions currently exist, but

could be increased, and 2) the USSF is actively seeking integration of those capabilities across

the Joint Force and will continue to look for greater partnering opportunities. Those areas lower

on the list may still provide emerging opportunities while preserving critical and inherently

governmental functions.

Note: Italicized text identifies the capabilities, at a minimum, the USSF will look to the

commercial sector to support (domestic, regional, and global).

1. Satellite Communications (SATCOM)

SATCOM includes the operation of spacecraft constellations that support beyond-line-of-sight

communications critical to establishing C2, data transport, and reach back for the worldwide

Joint Force. The availability of global SATCOM is critical to the posture and mission

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effectiveness of modern warfighting for the United States and its allies. The USSF seeks

capabilities from the commercial sector that increase and/or improve data transport speed,

capacity, agility, flexibility, reliability, and/or resiliency and incorporate emerging technologies

for the Joint Force to maintain competitive endurance. The USSF will prioritize capabilities that

can easily integrate into a federated system of systems (e.g., seek system agnostic, multiband,

multi-orbit, machine-to-machine automation, etc.). The USSF will look to improve resilience

through the integration of proliferated commercial networks into hybrid architectures and offset

future investments in government owned capabilities.

2. Space Domain Awareness (SDA)

SDA is the timely, relevant, and actionable understanding of the operational environment that

allows military forces to plan, integrate, execute, and assess space operations. SDA is achieved

via the fusion of status and planned activities of U.S., Allied, and third-party space systems; an

understanding of the space physical environment; knowledge of potential adversary systems or

activities; and insight into an adversary’s intent or likely response to an event. SDA enables the

USSF to detect, characterize, locate, maintain custody of, and track adversary capabilities to

maintain space superiority and the effective management of U.S. and allied space assets. Today,

the USSF conducts significant testing, experimentation, and operational support to the Joint

Force with the commercial sector. The USSF seeks capabilities from the commercial sector that

can contribute to the holistic generation of SDA.

3. Space Access, Mobility, and Logistics (SAML)

SAML supports Joint space operations sustainment through spacelift, force reconstitution,

maintenance, and logistics of space assets. Spacelift includes space launch services or

capabilities, launch vehicle multi-mission manifesting, launch facilities, spaceport infrastructure,

launch command and control, and spacecraft processing facilities. Commercial launch services

are fully integrated into USSF space access requirements and the USSF recognizes it may be the

anchor customer, at least temporarily, in some areas of the space mobility and logistics market.

The United States enjoys a robust and resilient space launch capability with the support of USSF

installation, infrastructure, and support services provided to industry. The capabilities the USSF

seeks from the commercial sector are launch services, flexible launch options, in-space

servicing, and tactically responsive space capabilities that the Service can test, experiment with,

and integrate into future missions. These capabilities will build on the National Security Space

Launch program, interoperability baseline with Allies and partners, and provide sustainability

as part of the USSF force generation process (SPAFORGEN) to the Joint commands.

4. Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT)

TacSRT is an activity that synchronizes and integrates the planning and operation of sensors and

assets, and the processing, exploitation, and dissemination systems in direct support of

operations. This is not intelligence in the formal sense but rather it is space-enabled operational

information about adversary military force capability, composition, and disposition, as well as

positional and inertial data that is relevant to the planning, decision-making, and operations in

every domain. TacSRT is conducted by the USSF to obtain information and insights not

available in the absence of TacSRT activities, enable military planning and battle management to

establish and reinforce precedents and norms of military behavior, and support rescue and

humanitarian efforts. Functions of targeting, tracking, adversary capability estimation, warning,

and assessment require timely and comprehensive collection via TacSRT, as well as data analytic

services and robust communications pathways to meet Joint Force requirements. The USSF

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seeks broad surveillance services, planning products, data, transmission and fusion, and analytic

capabilities from the commercial sector that can aid in the development and optimization of

TacSRT functions in support of services and Combatant Commander objectives. As it pursues

those services, the USSF will continue to partner with the Intelligence Community to leverage

existing capabilities where appropriate to ensure there is not duplicative effort.

5. Space-based Environmental Monitoring (SBEM)

Environmental monitoring includes sensing, characterizing, and exploiting the natural

environment. Terrestrial environmental monitoring fuses data and observations from multiple

phenomenology sensors fielded across the land, maritime, air, and space domains and provides

information, support, and warnings to Joint Forces throughout the world with meteorological and

oceanographic information affecting operations across all domains. Characterization of natural

phenomena in the space environment uses terrestrial and space-based sensors to identify

environmental threats to systems and operations within the space domain. Detection of space

environmental events and impacts is critical to protecting spacecraft and operations for the

United States and its Allies and partners. The USSF seeks environmental monitoring capabilities

from the commercial sector to characterize both terrestrial (via space-based sensing) and space

environments (via both terrestrial and space-based sensing) to improve the resilience of

terrestrial and space environmental monitoring architectures; inform Joint warfighter

operational planners and decision makers; and improve the resilience of military systems to

deliver warfighting effects and avoid operational surprises.

6. Cyberspace Operations

Space operations are heavily reliant on and integrated with cyberspace operations. Space Force

operations project combat power through the cyber domain, creating offensive or defensive

space operational effects to achieve commander objectives. USSF cyberspace forces support

these objectives through the conduct of defensive cyberspace operations and DoD information

network operations. Cyberspace operations also include operational actions taken to secure,

configure, operate, extend, maintain, and sustain a space system’s integrity, creating and

preserving the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the space system’s data.

Cybersecurity is the responsibility of both the USSF and its commercial partners. Cybersecurity

is a foundational requirement for any commercial provider to be considered for USSF

integration. To ensure cyber risks are appropriately accounted for, each provider will be

evaluated against the National Security Agency, the National Institute of Standards and

Technology, and the Defense Information Systems Agency standards. The USSF seeks

capabilities from the commercial sector that can provide levels of mission assurance across all

segments (ground, link, and space). Moreover, the USSF seeks capabilities that further enable

its digital force, including making data visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy,

interoperable, and secure. This requires bold changes and technology development consistent

with the DoD Zero Trust Framework and DoD Data, Analytics, and AI Adoption Strategy. The

USSF seeks enduring partnerships and capabilities to enable a future of improved awareness

and protection of the cyberspace domain with Allies and partners.

7. Command and Control (C2)

To meet the intent of mission command, the C2 of military space forces must overcome the

global and remote nature of space operations in a way that systematically provides tactical forces

with the SDA required to recognize, coordinate, and exploit fleeting battlespace opportunities

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and prevent decision paralysis. The Space Force philosophy of C2 must support the way the

Joint Force intends to fight. The USSF seeks capabilities from the commercial sector that

increase C2 capacity and capability. The USSF will prioritize capabilities with dynamic

technology (i.e. multi-band). These types of capabilities allow for delivery of resilient data

management, decision support tools, planning support, and secure global communications to the

Joint Force to avoid operational surprise and deny adversarial first-mover advantages.

8. Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT)

Space-based PNT is a global, multi-use capability that is essential to executing the Joint

functions of C2, movement, maneuver, and fires in a military campaign. It is crucial in its

support to U.S. and Allied diplomatic, informational, military, and economic objectives. PNT

systems, in combination with user equipment, provide the Joint Force with precise four-

dimensional positioning capability, navigation options, and a highly accurate time reference.

The USSF seeks PNT capabilities from the commercial sector to enable operational resilience

across the Joint Force and our Allies and partners. The USSF will test and evaluate these

capabilities to inform on operational utilization across the spectrum of conflict.

Space Mission Enablers

Space Mission Enablers include capabilities that are not associated with a particular mission area

but can support one or more of those mission areas. These capabilities are fundamental to

conducting routine and complex space operations. The USSF requires cross-cutting capabilities

and services such as constellation management; standard user interfaces for satellite Telemetry,

Tracking, and Commanding; decision support software and tools; rapid prototyping; artificial

intelligence; data management; ground support; common operating pictures that integrate

multiple streams of data; modeling and simulation; etc. Companies of all sizes – including those

not traditionally involved in providing commercial space solutions – have significant

opportunities to partner with the USSF to provide some or all these valuable cross-cutting

capabilities.

Immediate Goals: For mission areas where the USSF has determined relevance for commercial

integration, all USSF units will be able to operate within a framework and secure the tools

necessary to fully integrate commercial space solutions. Those organizations directly integrating

the commercial sector operationally will have situational awareness of the marketplace and be

able to validate commercial goods, services, or activities through training and collaboration with

the affected operational units where necessary. For each relevant mission, the USSF will ensure

that there is a process to flexibly select commercial vendors to meet Joint Force operational

needs.

Operational units utilizing commercial space solutions will have situational awareness of the

commercial sector in a manner that enables due diligence and improves integration. Institutional

integration of commercial space solutions requires ongoing analysis and updates to doctrine,

operational concepts, organizational constructs, training, material acquisition, leadership

education, personnel structures, facilities, and policies. Specifically, future USSF Force Design

and Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) processes will include more

commercial space solutions. Funding will be allocated based on the strategic importance and

urgency of missions within the USSF and priority will be given to mission areas critical for

enhancing national security. This prioritization aligns with the USSF's overarching objective of

maintaining space superiority and protecting U.S. interests in the space domain.

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The Space Force must also aggressively pursue commercial space solutions that enhance its

Operational Test and Training Infrastructure to improve purpose-built and residual use test and

training capabilities to strengthen the USSF’s readiness generation activities. This effort may

include commercial test and training services, such as virtual or synthetic orbital ranges

populated with red and blue forces, to meet desired test and training objectives for operational

systems.

Office of Primary Responsibility: The Service Acquisition Executive for Space Systems and

Programs (SAF/SQ) and CSRO, with support from the PEOs, will serve as the OPRs for LOE

#2. SAF/SQ and CSRO, in coordination with DAF stakeholders, will clarify and/or develop

operational organizations, pathways, and/or processes to improve operational and technical

integration of commercial capabilities and services across all mission areas. This includes

clarification on roles, responsibilities, and resourcing of commercially focused organizations

within Space Operations Command , Space Systems Command (SSC), Space Warfighting

Analysis Center, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Space Development Agency, and Component

Field Commands. Detailed tasks for LOE #2 will be captured in a subsequent PLANORD.

LOE #3 – Risk Management

Description: The integration of commercial space solutions into the USSF architecture is not

without risk. Companies that choose to employ solutions in support of military operations must

accept the inherent risk of doing so and take actions to protect their capabilities to ensure

availability when needed, including in wartime. The USSF will aid commercial companies to

identify these risks and provide actionable, timely data to aid in risk mitigation.

Immediate Goals: The USSF must establish a process to share threat information with

commercial companies that permits the timely dissemination of actionable threat data, thus

reducing risk to the commercial systems. Information sharing will include SDA and

cybersecurity threat information at multiple classification levels. The USSF will work with the

DoD to mitigate barriers including overclassification, clearance processes, and cleared facility

access to establish scalable procedures for unclassified communications with the commercial

space sector.

Office of Primary Responsibility: The CSRO will serve as the OPR for LOE #3. The CSRO,

in coordination with DAF stakeholders, will develop a means to share threat information more

broadly and fully with the commercial sector, and identify barriers to sharing data and work with

the appropriate organizations to lower classification where appropriate. Detailed tasks for LOE

#3 will be captured in a subsequent PLANORD.

LOE #4 – Secure the Future

Description: The USSF will continue to seek out emerging technologies in the commercial

space sector that have the potential to support the Joint and Combined Force today and in the

future. The USSF will enhance its competitive advantage by utilizing the commercial sector’s

innovative culture, shorter development timelines, and burgeoning array of space goods,

services, and activities to the greatest extent practicable. In this effort, the USSF will prioritize

Science and Technology efforts that are tailored to the operational environment and optimized

for fielding capabilities on operationally-relevant timelines.

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Immediate Goals: The USSF must establish a process to look across commercial offerings, to

include traditional and non-traditional space sector, to identify the cross-cutting capabilities and

services that can satisfy operational requirements. Additionally, the USSF will continue to foster

and encourage growth of the industrial base through partnerships with organizations like

SpaceWERX, AFWERX, DIU, etc.

Office of Primary Responsibility: SSC will serve as OPR for LOE #4. SSC, in coordination

with DAF stakeholders, will increase awareness of commercial solutions that satisfy

requirements with Allies and partners and increase awareness of USSF mission needs across

those same stakeholders. SSC will also support and amplify DoD and interagency efforts for the

export of commercial space solutions, including those developed by small- and medium-sized

entities, for use in international markers, consistent with U.S. export controls and national

security objectives. Detailed tasks for LOE #4 will be captured in a subsequent PLANORD.

Closing

The USSF believes the cost and challenges of undertaking this strategy pale in comparison to

risks of maintaining the status quo and is committed to development of hybrid space capabilities

that integrate DoD, commercial, and Allied capabilities. Guardians are committed to the

expansion of industry partnerships to increase resiliency and improve support to the Joint Force.

In space, multiple stakeholders are simultaneously operating in the same environment, subject to

the same threats, and dependent upon one another in the accomplishment of respective missions.

It is imperative that the USSF maximizes the integration of the disparate space capabilities on the

ground and on-orbit, and fully leverages innovation in the commercial sector through the “exploit

what we have, buy what we can, and build what we must” approach to acquiring and fielding

space capabilities.

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TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

capabilities. The technology used by the military across the spectrum of conflict.

combat power projection. The projection of combat power, as space combat power,

includes offensive and defensive military force (fires and protection) in, from, or to the

space domain (including navigation warfare). (SDP 3-0)

command and control (C2). The exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated

commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission. (Joint

Publication 3-0; SDP 3-0)

commercial. Pursuant to the 2020 National Space Policy, refers to capabilities, goods, services,

or activities provided by private sector enterprises that bear a reasonable portion of the

investment risk and responsibility for the activity, operate in accordance with typical market-

based incentives for controlling cost and optimizing return on investment, and have the legal

capacity to offer those goods or services to existing or potential non-governmental customers.

The terms commercial product and commercial service are defined according to the Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Part 2.

Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR). A framework designed to ensure that the

USSF can leverage the capabilities of the commercial sector to enhance the resilience, capacity,

and effectiveness of its national security space architecture. It is flexible and adaptable to

evolving technologies, operational requirements, and commercial offerings.

commercial integration. The incorporation of commercial solutions into U.S. defense planning,

operations, missions, and architectures. (DOD CSIS)

commercial sector. Individuals, companies, and organizations that produce solutions for

commercial markets, that bear a significant portion of the investment risk and responsibility, that

operate in accordance with commercial market incentives for controlling costs and optimizing

return on investment, and that have the legal capacity to offer those solutions. (DOD CSIS)

commercially supported. Denotes that the USSF has determined that task controls and task

performance of a mission, activity, or operation can be executed, in whole or part, by a

commercial sector entity. Such an execution must not compromise the responsibilities and

decision-making required for any government task, regardless of task controls and task

performance. The USSF default position—subject to national security interests and applicable

law, including 10 U.S.C. § 2461, Public Law 105-270, and the 2022 National Defense

Authorization Act—is to pursue commercial space solutions to fill current or emerging

operational requirements.

Relevance for the USSF: An understanding of inherently governmental functions informs those

missions and functions that can be ultimately commercially supported. Clarity by the USSF on

commercially supported criteria enables industry to consider the future integration of emerging

commercial goods, services, and activities. Commercially supported functions help rapidly

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deliver capabilities to the Joint Force and enhance U.S. competitive advantage. The USSF's use

of commercial space solutions as part of a diverse, proliferated, and distributed space

architecture increases resilience and reduces an adversary’s incentives for attack, including any

perceived first-mover advantage.

commercial space solution. Space systems, capabilities, or services offered by the commercial

sector.

constellation. In space operations, a system of spacecraft acts in concert to perform a specific

mission. (JP 3-14; Approved for incorporation into the DoD Dictionary)

cyberspace operations. Due to the distributed nature of space operations, all space operations

are simultaneously cyber operations and electromagnetic spectrum operations. Space Force

cyber operations project combat power through the cyberspace domain, creating offensive or

defensive space operations effects (fires and protection). (SDP 3-0)

defensive space operations. Actions taken to preserve friendly freedom of action in space. (JP

3-14; Approved for inclusion in the DoD Dictionary)

disaggregation. Separating dissimilar capabilities into distinct platforms or payloads, such as

separating tactical and strategic communications. (Space Domain Mission Assurance: A

Resilience Taxonomy, 2015)

distribution. Using multiple nodes, to perform the same mission or functions to ensure no

individual satellite or ground node is fundamental to the success of that mission. (Space Domain

Mission Assurance: A Resilience Taxonomy, 2015)

diversification. Leveraging alternative means to contribute to the same mission in multiple

ways, using different platforms, different orbits, or systems and capabilities of civil, commercial,

or international partners. An example would be the U.S. Joint Force leveraging both government

and commercial satellite communications systems. (Space Domain Mission Assurance: A

Resilience Taxonomy, 2015)

electromagnetic warfare. Electromagnetic warfare is military actions involving the

use of electromagnetic and directed energy to control the EMS or to attack the adversary (fires

and protection). Electromagnetic warfare consists of three distinct divisions: electromagnetic

attack, electromagnetic support, and electromagnetic protection. (SDP 3-0; Joint Publication 3-

85, Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations)

environmental monitoring. Includes sensing, characterizing, and exploiting the natural

environment (intelligence and information). (SDP 3-0)

force design. Force Design accounts for all aspects of the doctrine, organization, training,

materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTmLPF-P) analysis and

is the mechanism by which we conceptualize the force we need (objective force). Looking five

to fifteen years into the future, Force Design leverages mission analyses, wargames,

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experimentation, and exercises to inform new requirements, architectures, and operational

concepts.

The output of the Force Design process is an Objective Force – the capabilities, capacity, and

force structure that we think is required for Guardians to accomplish their roles and missions in

the forecasted operational environment. The Objective Force is an aspirational point of

departure for resourcing, but fiscal realities often constrain the force we buy. The difference

between the force we need and the force we buy (programmed force) represents operational risk.

(CSO Notice to Guardians #21)

force development. Force Development mitigates operational risk by adapting processes,

equipment, and thinking to account for projected operational challenges. It does this through

talent management, education, training, tactics development, test and evaluation, acquisition, and

resourcing. Force Development minimizes the risk that emerges from never having exactly what

we think we need to address current and future requirements, and it serves to enhance and

optimize the force we field. (CSO Notice to Guardians #21)

force employment. Force Employment involves the planning, force management, and decision-

making required to fulfill military objectives with the Fielded Force. Put simply, Force

Employment is what we do today with what we have now. This includes the day-to-day tactical

missions Guardians conduct under the operational control of a Space Force Service Component

commander, operational-level planning, and strategic-level decision-making that occurs under

the combatant commanders’ authority. (CSO Notice to Guardians #21)

force generation. Force Generation activities build, sustain, and reconstitute force elements

capable of conducting prompt and sustained operations. Force Generation transforms the force

we field into the force we present to the combatant commanders. (CSO Notice to Guardians #21)

hybrid space architecture. Combining national security, civil, commercial, or international

space and terrestrial hardware and software which are highly interoperable and integrated to

ensure flexible and effective operations.

inherently governmental functions. As defined in Section 5 of the Federal Activities Inventory

Reform Act, Public Law 105–270, are functions that are so intimately related to the public

interest as to require performance by Federal Government employees.

missile warning. Includes terrestrial and space-based sensors providing time-critical event

processing and releasing data for decision-maker notification throughout the world (intelligence,

information, and protection). (SDP 3-0)

navigation warfare. Actions that maintain friendly use of positioning, navigation, and timing

information while denying the same to an adversary. Also called NAVWAR. (JP 3-14;

Approved for incorporation into the DoD Dictionary)

nuclear detonation (NUDET) detection. Space-based NUDET detection systems provide a

worldwide, highly survivable capability to detect, locate, and report nuclear detonations in the

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Earth’s atmosphere, near space, or deep space in near-real time (intelligence and information).

(SDP 3-0)

offensive space operations. Actions taken to deny an adversary freedom of action in space. (JP

3-14; Approved for inclusion in the DoD Dictionary)

positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT). Space-based PNT is a global, multi-use service that

is essential to executing the Joint functions of C2, movement and maneuver, and fires in a

military campaign, and crucial in its support to United States and allied diplomatic,

informational, military, and economic objectives. (SDP 3-0)

proliferated. The deployment of large numbers of the same platform, payload, or systems of the

same types to perform the same mission. (Space Domain Mission Assurance: A Resilience

Taxonomy, 2015)

protection. Active and passive measures to ensure space systems can provide a service in

support of any operating environment or condition, such as onboard jam protection and nuclear

hardening. (Space Domain Mission Assurance: A Resilience Taxonomy, 2015)

reconstitution. Plans or operations to bring new assets online (e.g., launching replacement

satellites or activating new ground stations) to replenish lost or diminished functions to an

acceptable level for a particular mission, operation, or contingency after an attack or catastrophic

event. (Space Domain Mission Assurance: A Resilience Taxonomy, 2015)

resilience. The ability of an architecture to support the functions necessary for mission success

with higher probability, shorter periods of reduced capability, and across a wider range of

scenarios, conditions, and threats, despite hostile action or adverse conditions. (Space Domain

Mission Assurance: A Resilience Taxonomy, 2015)

satellite communications (SATCOM). Includes the operation of spacecraft constellations that

support beyond-line-of-sight communications critical to establishing command and control and

reach back for the worldwide Joint Force (information). The availability of global SATCOM is

critical to the posture and mission effectiveness of modern warfighting for the United States and

its allies.

space access, mobility, and logistics (SAML). SAML supports Joint space operations

sustainment through spacelift, force reconstitution, maintenance of a force of space operations

personnel, and support to human space flight. Spacelift includes space launch services or

capabilities, launch vehicle multi-mission manifesting, launch facilities, spaceport infrastructure,

launch command and control, and spacecraft processing facilities.

space domain. The area above the altitude where atmospheric effects on airborne objects

become negligible. (JP 3-14; Approved for incorporation into the DoD Dictionary)

space domain awareness (SDA). SDA is the timely, relevant, and actionable understanding of

the operational environment that allows military forces to plan, integrate, execute, and assess

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space operations. SDA is achieved via the fusion of status and planned activities of U.S., allied,

and third-party space systems; an understanding of the space physical environment, including

knowledge of potential adversary systems or activities; and insight into an adversary’s intent or

likely response to an event. SDA enables the USSF to detect, characterize, locate, maintain

custody of, and track adversary capabilities to maintain space superiority and the effective

management of U.S. and allied space assets.

space forces. The space and terrestrial systems, equipment, facilities, organizations, and

personnel, or combination thereof, necessary to conduct space operations. (DoD Dictionary; JP

3-14)

space operations. The employment of space forces in, to, or from space to achieve objectives.

(JP 3-14; Approved for inclusion in the DoD Dictionary)

space situational awareness. The requisite foundational, current, and predictive knowledge and

characterization of space orbital objects and the space domain. (JP 3-14; Approved for

incorporation into the DoD Dictionary)

space superiority. The degree of control in the space domain of one force over another that

permits freedom of access and action without prohibitive interference. (JP 3-14; Approved for

incorporation into the DoD Dictionary)

spacelift. Primarily supported by enabling capabilities, delivers payloads (spacecraft or other

materials) into space and, in some cases, enables the safe reentry and recovery of launch

vehicles. (JP 3-14)

surveillance, reconnaissance, and tracking (SRT). SRT is an activity that synchronizes and

integrates the planning and operation of sensors and assets, and the processing, exploitation, and

dissemination systems in direct support of both intelligence and operations. Space-enabled SRT

provides information about adversary military force capability, composition, disposition, and

intent, as well as positional and inertial data that is relevant to the planning, decision making, and

operations in every domain.