The Department of Defense (DOD) is a U.S. government agency responsible for military and national security space activities. It acts as a major procurer and operator of space systems, including launch vehicles and satellite systems for reconnaissance, missile launch detection, navigation, and communication. The DOD aims to maintain space superiority, integrate military space power, and ensure space stability, working with commercial firms to integrate space solutions into national security architectures.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The Department of Defense has been required by law to submit an annual report on China’s military capabilities to Congress since 2000.
The Defense Department announced Victoria Coleman’s selection as DARPA director on 2020-08-31.
The Space Development Agency was stood up in 2019 as a separate agency with a mandate to build space systems for the military faster than traditional Pentagon procurements.
The National Academy of Public Administration released a report on 2020-08-20 concluding that the Commerce Department’s Office of Space Commerce was best suited to take on civil space traffic management and ranked it ahead of NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense.
The Defense Innovation Unit is a Defense Department organization based in Silicon Valley that works with commercial vendors developing technologies relevant to national security.
The NAPA report projected that $20,000,000 to $25,000,000 of the projected funding by 2024 would be for commercial space situational awareness data purchases to augment data provided by the Department of Defense.
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance will launch up to 34 missions for the Defense Department under the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement.
SpaceX beat competitors Blue Origin and Northrop Grumman in a competition to launch military satellites for the Pentagon from 2022 to 2027.
Under the Phase 2 award, SpaceX will launch 40% of the up-to-34 Defense Department missions and has received a $316,000,000 contract for one such mission.
AFWERX established a contract vehicle as part of the event to allow Department of Defense users to immediately gain access to developing technologies presented by the 30 selected companies.
Viasat's Mobile Dynamic Defense platform will protect sensitive Department of Defense, U.S. federal government, and international Five Eye allied forces information on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition device.
The X-37 program was transferred to the U.S. Department of Defense and is managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
The Pentagon intended in June 2020 to award $116,000,000 in contracts to six small launch providers using funds authorized under the Defense Production Act.
Between 2022 and 2027 United Launch Alliance and SpaceX will collectively fly as many as 34 missions for the Department of Defense and the National Reconnaissance Office under firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contracts.
By law the Department of Defense will not be allowed to buy Atlas V launches after 2022-12-31.
DARPA intends that the U.S. Defense Department can modify a Telesat LEO satellite bus to accommodate Blackjack payload inserts and thermal requirements.
Blackjack seeks to use lower-cost spacecraft to increase the number of systems the Department of Defense can build or procure.
DARPA's Tactical Technology Office launched the Blackjack program in 2018 to demonstrate the value of small satellites in low Earth orbit as an alternative to the Pentagon's large geosynchronous satellites.
The National Reconnaissance Office is part of the U.S. intelligence community and works with the Department of Defense to develop, acquire, launch, and operate the nation’s intelligence satellites.
Blue Origin is competing with SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Northrop Grumman for two long-term launch contracts the U.S. Defense Department is expected to award 2020.