| 01/14/2025 | | National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays. | | Welcome to this week's edition of SpaceNews Military, your source for the latest developments at the intersection of space and national security. In this issue, we cover:
- Frank Kendall's parting warning - DOGE government reforms easier said than done - Space Force honor guard to participate in presidential inauguration
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|  | | | Space & defense brief 🛰️ | | |  | |
The wildfires in Los Angeles have brought widespread destruction, leaving families displaced and businesses, including those in the space industry, severely damaged. The region is home to federal and commercial space operations, from startups to major aerospace contractors and research labs. To assist, SpaceNews compiled a list of reputable donation sites to help those affected. Seen here is an image of the Palisades Fire collected last week by Planet satellites. Credit: Planet | | | | Frank Kendall calls for 'transformation' in U.S. air and space warfare
Outgoing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall issued a stark message to Congress: The U.S. must overhaul its air and space capabilities by 2050 or risk losing the military space race to China.
Speaking on Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Kendall highlighted findings from the "Department of the Air Force in 2050" report, a forward-looking assessment commissioned under last year's National Defense Authorization Act.
"We're going to need a much bigger, much more powerful Space Force," Kendall said, arguing for a fundamental transformation of the branch into a force capable of operating like a navy rather than a merchant marine. -
In his report, Kendall forecasts space as the "decisive domain" for military operations by mid-century, warning that adversaries will deploy advanced terrestrial and space-based weapons capable of targeting U.S. systems. -
To counter these threats, the Space Force — currently about 10,000 personnel strong — will require dramatic expansion and investment in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and advanced space sensors. -
"The future of war is highly automated, highly autonomous," Kendall emphasized. "The ability of the joint force to project power depends on our success in space." -
The report also stresses the need for deeper collaboration with private-sector innovators to leverage dual-use technologies.
| | | | Government overhaul won't come easy
Kendall during his talk at CSIS also delivered a reality check to President-elect Donald Trump's ambitious government reform initiative, highlighting the complex challenges of restructuring federal agencies and reducing costs. -
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an advisory body to be led by entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to streamline government operations and eliminate wasteful spending. -
Previous administrations have attempted similar reform initiatives with limited success. The creation of DOGE represents Trump's signature effort to apply private sector efficiency methods to federal operations. -
Drawing from his extensive experience at the Pentagon, Kendall said, meaningful reform requires difficult trade-offs and congressional buy-in. -
"Every single thing you want to cut, somebody in Congress cares about a lot and is going to fight you," he said, pointing to the entrenched interests that often derail efficiency efforts. He noted that many regulations stem from annual defense authorization bills, which typically span 1,000 pages and generate extensive compliance requirements. The military's global force posture is an area ripe for reassessment, Kendall suggested. Maintaining military presence in regions where U.S. forces have operated for decades may no longer align with strategic needs or fiscal reality.
Kendall also emphasized that modernization requires upfront investment, particularly in information technology. "We don't refresh our IT in the government at anything like the rate the commercial world does," he said.
| | | | Former Trump official optimistic about procurement reforms
Jared Stout, who served on the first Trump administration's National Space Council and is now vice president of government and external relations at Axiom Space, said he is confident that the incoming White House will seek to overhaul the nation's space acquisition system, which he described as hamstrung by bureaucracy and too slow to capture technological advances. -
Although the creation of the U.S. Space Force raised expectations for a streamlined and agile procurement process, Stout said those hopes have largely gone unfulfilled. "A lot of folks really had high hopes that the acquisition structure for Space Force ... would really change the dynamic," he told the Defense Writers Group last week. -
Stout noted that certain entities, such as the Space Development Agency, have demonstrated faster-than-expected development timelines. However, dissatisfaction persists among lawmakers, reflecting broader frustrations over the Pentagon's acquisition processes. -
"It's not a lack of willpower, it's not a lack of ideas, and it's not a lack of innovation," Stout said, emphasizing that the U.S. has no shortage of talent in its national security enterprise. Instead, he pointed to a "bureaucratic system that will not let go," as the central issue. -
Stout predicts the Trump White House will not be afraid of "breaking things." As U.S. policymakers grapple with China's advancing space capabilities, Stout stressed the importance of leveraging America's "innovation economy." The United States, he argued, cannot outpace China through centralized planning but can maintain its edge through entrepreneurial dynamism.
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Guardians from across the nation came to Washington to support the U.S. Space Force Honor Guard for the 60th Presidential Inauguration set for Jan. 20.
This marks the first time the Space Force will participate in a presidential inauguration. Guardians will march at the inauguration parade, alongside units representing the U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Air Force Academy, active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.
|  | | | In other news 🚀 | | Blue Origin called off the first attempt to launch its New Glenn rocket because of an unspecified technical issue.
The company on Monday and again on Tuesday scrubbed the mission designated NG-1 that awaits launch at Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 36.
Blue Origin said it was working to troubleshoot an unspecified vehicle subsystem issue.
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Anduril Industries won a $14.3 million Pentagon contract to expand solid rocket motor production, as the U.S. Department of Defense moves to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities amid growing supply chain concerns.
The contract, awarded under the Defense Production Act, will support facility modernization and manufacturing improvements at Anduril's Mississippi plant.
| | | | U.S. military satellites manufactured by York Space Systems and SpaceX successfully demonstrated cross-vendor laser communications link in low Earth orbit, marking a milestone for the Pentagon's next-generation satellite network.
The satellites are part of the U.S. Space Force's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a network designed to enhance military communications and missile tracking capabilities.
| | | | What's New With SpaceNews? | | Don't forget to sign up for our next webinar! |  | | Join us January 15 for a dynamic webinar that explores how the space sector may change after the transition from President Joe Biden to President-elect Donald Trump. | | | | Thanks for reading! Please send comments, suggestions and tips to serwin@spacenews.com | | | | | |
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