Kendall green lights Space Force CASR approach

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has approved the Space Force’s plan to implement a commercial augmentation space reserve, according to the top Space Force official.

“It's an example of doing the planning and the expectation management before you actually need the capability,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said at a Center for a New American Security event.

Saltzman said the strategy identifies the need for commercial augmentation in certain areas, such as “satellite communication bandwidth and commercial imagery.”

“I am OK with what I have now. But when in a time of crisis or in a natural disaster, I may need to increase the scale of imagery that's available,” he said.

He stressed that the CASR model would “pre-work the contract vehicles,” describing how the service can have immediate access to resources when required, so when a crisis occurs the force doesn’t have to start from a contracting action or discussion because they have already done the “legwork.”

Additionally, Space System Commander Gen. Michael Guetlein at the Space Industry Days conference yesterday said the command will be requesting funds for CASR in the 2025 or 2026 budget timeframe.

“Commercially augmented space reserve is about building capacity for times of crisis or conflict during peacetime. How do I build in the business processes, the relationships, the exercises, the funding during peacetime, so that when I need you during times of crisis or conflict, we don't start with an RFP as a point of departure,” Guetlein explained.

“We actually say we've already done this before, this is how much I need and this is where I need it,” he added.

The general also stated that he is expecting CASR to be rolled out by the administration by this fall.