The Defense Department today released its Commercial Space Integration Strategy that gives a roadmap of how the U.S. military can leverage commercial space in each of its space mission areas.
As the commercial space sector rapidly expands and space capabilities proliferate, the strategy calls for making commercial space “integral” to national space security architectures, not just “supplementary.”
Using commercial space in this way is not without risk, but DOD sees those risks as worthwhile, according to the strategy.
“Purchasing commercial solutions instead of designing purpose-built government systems may present trade-offs between the speed of fielding a capability and the security of that system,” the strategy states. “But the department also recognizes there is risk in not integrating commercial solutions and in failing to capitalize on the commercial sector’s technological innovation and speed.”
The strategy does not have specific guidance on what commercial space businesses can do to work with the department, but John Plumb, assistant secretary for space policy, said in a briefing today that it sends a signal to DOD organizations to work with those businesses.
“What this strategy hopes to do is say, ‘Yes, continue working on bringing commercial entities in. It’s actually something we want you to do, not just a think you should be experimenting with,’” Plumb said. “I think, over time, this should provide better integration, better ways forward and hopefully as we identify those mechanisms or those capabilities they can benefit national security.”
The strategy lists four priorities for commercial space integration:
- Ensuring access to commercial solutions across the spectrum of conflict.
- Achieving integration prior to crisis.
- Establishing the security conditions to integrate commercial space solutions.
- Supporting the development of new commercial space solutions for use by the joint force.
To meet the first priority, which includes letting DOD surge commercial capacity to meet military needs, the department plans to use contracts and agreements. These formal mechanisms will address cyber, data and supply chain security requirements for the businesses and would, as necessary, prioritize DOD needs over commercial clients in certain situations.
To integrate prior to a crisis, the department will bring commercial space solutions into its wargames, tabletop exercises and training exercises to test technology and to develop and hone tactics and concepts.
Establishing the security conditions has the most detailed approach of the four. The approach includes promoting norms and standards that can be agreed upon internationally, sharing threat information with the commercial space sector in a timely manner and setting up financial protection for commercial space operators working with DOD.
To support the development of new solutions, the department will use financial, contractual and policy tools to scale commercial technology, attract investment, meet regulatory assessments and bring capability to the warfighter.
Four principles will guide commercial space integration:
- Balance between government and commercial solutions without over relying on one provider for each mission area.
- Interoperability among government and commercial solutions.
- Resilience for individual systems and through the number of providers.
- Responsible conduct following the department’s Tenets of Responsible Behavior in Space.
The strategy calls for mechanisms to integrate commercial space into national security space architectures similar to those used in the air and sea domains with the Civil Reserve Air Fleet and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement.
Each of the 13 current space mission areas will be put into one of three categories, according to the strategy.
Government primary mission areas will include combat power projection; positioning, navigation and timing; command and control; electromagnetic warfare; nuclear detonation detection; and missile warning.
Hybrid mission areas will include cyberspace operations, satellite communication, spacecraft operations, space domain awareness, environmental monitoring and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Commercial primary mission areas will include space access, mobility and logistics. Emerging technologies such as in-space servicing may be included in the future.