Colorado lawmakers show support for backup space ops center

A contingent of Colorado lawmakers sent a letter to top officials at the Defense Department and National Reconnaissance Office late last week in support of an effort to create a new interagency space operations center.

The letter, dated Oct. 22 and signed by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) as well as Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), calls the new Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center (JICSpOC) "a critical and much-needed step toward increased integration of our national security assets across these government entities."

"Given the increasing threats our nation faces, the need for these new capabilities could not be more urgent," the letter states. "We encourage you to make it your highest priority to develop and test these capabilities so that they will be delivered to the warfighter as quickly and affordably as possible."

The letter goes on to state that the lawmakers support the utilization of rapid acquisition authority and innovative commercial partnerships to address the "critical need."

DOD announced in September that it would stand up the JICSpOC at Schriever Air Force Base, CO, with an initial $16 million investment from the defense and intelligence communities. The center is meant to provide a backup capability to the Joint Space Operations Center, which is located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The backup capability should be operational in January 2017.

The move follows a strategic review designed to maintain U.S. technological superiority in space, outlined in a June 23 speech by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.