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.
A new military service, a combatant command, and a Space Development Agency collectively would increase the Department of Defense’s costs by up to $1,900,000,000 annually, according to CBO.
The Department of Defense requested $1,400,000,000 for satellite communications in its 2020 budget, focused mainly on next-generation military payloads, ground systems, and satcom terminals.
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launched three technology demonstration satellites for the U.S. Defense Department on 2019-05-05.
By law, the Department of Defense will not be allowed to buy Atlas 5 launches after 2022-12-31.
The Pentagon floated a $2,000,000,000 five-year cost estimate for the Space Force.
The National Reconnaissance Office was established in 1961 as a joint intelligence community and Department of Defense organization to develop, launch, and operate signals, imagery, and communications satellites.
The Pentagon’s budget request for 2020 includes $149,000,000 for the Space Development Agency.
The Pentagon revealed on 2019-03-13 that the Space Development Agency had been officially created.
Wallis Laughrey, vice president of space systems at Raytheon, stated that a Space Force could better align contractors with Department of Defense (DoD) space needs.
SpaceX launched two Starlink prototypes in February 2018 and has been testing them since, including with the U.S. Department of Defense.
The STP-2 mission will deliver 23 satellites to space on the Department of Defense’s first Falcon Heavy launch.
Guard units are trained in Title 32 status so the Department of Defense would not incur additional costs for that training when those units operate in Title 32 status.
Stephen Kitay emphasizes that the Department of Defense must transform its approach to space into a warfighting domain.
The Department of Defense proposes to place the Space Force under the Department of the Air Force to minimize administrative costs.
On 2019-04-09 the U.S. Department of Defense signed a one-month, $8,300,000 extension to bridge to a new multi-year EMSS agreement with Iridium.
Iridium provides unlimited voice and data satellite communications services to the U.S. Department of Defense through a five-year EMSS contract awarded in late 2013.
Stephen Kitay has pitched the Pentagon’s Space Force proposal to congressional committees.
Iridium received a separate Defense Department contract renewal worth up to $54,000,000 to upgrade a government-dedicated ground station in Hawaii.
Upgrades to the Department of Defense gateway should enable the gateway to support Iridium’s Certus connectivity products by 2020.
The Department of Defense budget request for the Space Development Agency included $20,000,000 to develop the LEO sensor network.