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 Pentagon’s 2020 budget requested nearly $150,000,000 to get the Space Development Agency off the ground, including $44,700,000 for personnel, $20,000,000 for space research and development, and $85,000,000 for space technology prototyping.
Maxar is pursuing opportunities to sell satellites to the U.S. Defense Department and to attract new commercial customers and hosted-payload missions using its satellite manufacturing expertise from SSL.
Iridium Communications received a five-year Gateway Evolution indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to upgrade a gateway station dedicated to making its satellite communications services available for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Pentagon’s 2020 budget request included nearly $150,000,000 to grow the Space Development Agency to approximately 100 engineers, scientists, and support contractors by the following year.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched the Defense Department’s Space Test Program-2 mission on 2019-06-25 with 24 satellites.
The Senate appropriators funded the Pentagon’s full request for the Space Development Agency by approving $44,700,000 for SDA staff in the Defense Wide Operations and Maintenance account.
The Pentagon requested $72,000,000 for expenses related to establishing a Space Force.
The subcommittee’s position on providing funding for the Space Development Agency remains unclear, while the Department of Defense requested $105,000,000 for SDA to develop a next-generation space architecture and $44,800,000 for SDA operating costs.
The Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee advanced a Fiscal Year 2020 funding bill that provides $622,500,000,000 in base Department of Defense funding, $70,600,000,000 in overseas contingency operations funding, and $1,700,000,000 in emergency funding.
Title 10 of the U.S. Code, enacted in 1956, provides the legal basis for the roles, missions, and organization of the services and the Department of Defense.
The National Reconnaissance Office operates with a more streamlined organization and can move faster than the Department of Defense acquisition processes.
President Trump directed the Department of Defense in June 2018 to form a separate military service for space.
The Trump administration is working to ensure the 2019-10-01 NDAA gives the Pentagon legal authority to stand up a new Space Force.
President Trump’s 2019-12-18 memo instructed the Pentagon to re-establish United States Space Command to focus on protecting U.S. space assets and strengthening the military’s posture in space.
The Department of Defense requested $83,800,000 for U.S. Space Command in fiscal year 2020, of which $8,200,000 is new money and $75,600,000 would be transferred from other accounts.
In March, the Department of Defense established the Space Development Agency to help design a new space architecture that takes advantage of commercial technology.
The NSSL program is run by the U.S. Air Force and receives additional oversight from the Pentagon.
The Department of Defense has argued that the proposed NDAA language does not provide sufficient authorities to establish a separate branch under the Air Force.
Viasat is developing a Link 16-capable low Earth orbit spacecraft for the XVI program to provide a space-based Link 16 solution for the Department of Defense.
Douglas Loverro left his post as SMC executive director in 2013 to become the Pentagon’s deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy and later established a consulting practice.