Space Force wants commercial satellites, but industry says too slow
Industry officials say the US Space Force is not buying enough surveillance satellites and is too slow to turn commercial capabilities into actual orders.
Space industry executives criticised the US Space Force's efforts to build a new generation of surveillance satellites using commercial technologies, saying the military is not buying enough spacecraft and is moving too slowly.
The criticism targets the speed of converting available commercial capabilities into formal orders within armament programmes, according to a report published by SpaceNews.
The criticism comes as attention turns to space policy ahead of the midterm elections on November 3.
The criticism raises the question of whether the Space Force will translate its growing reliance on commercial technologies into clear contracts, which determines the size of the market companies can plan around.
What do these terms mean?
Formal armament programme: An approved procurement programme within the military budget that guarantees multi-year funding for suppliers.
Surveillance satellites: Satellites equipped with sensors to monitor movements or activity on the ground.
Commercial capabilities: Technologies and services developed by private companies and sold to government or military entities.
Midterm elections: US elections held at the midpoint of a president's term that renew seats in Congress.
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