Astronomy Prints 🌌: Pentagon in DOGE's crosshairs

02/11/2025

National security insights for space professionals. Delivered Tuesdays.

Welcome to this week's edition of SpaceNews Military Space, your source for the latest developments at the intersection of space and national security. In this issue, we cover:

- Hegseth: DoD to review spending across the board

- Space Force under pressure to modernize surveillance systems

- Bureaucratic and budgetary challenges for Trump's 'Iron Dome' plan

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Space & defense brief 🛰️

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth holds a town hall meeting for Department of Defense personnel at the Pentagon, Feb. 7, 2025.

Pentagon becomes DOGE's next target

The Pentagon is not being spared from the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with potential job cuts looming amid efforts to slash billions from government spending.

In comments over the weekend, President Trump said aligning government expenditures with his administration's priorities could require deep reductions in defense spending.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced that message at a Pentagon town hall on Friday, warning that widespread job cuts could be on the horizon.

"There are thousands of additional Pentagon positions, headquarters positions, other positions that have been created over the last 20 years that don't necessarily translate to battlefield success," Hegseth said. That includes "additional staff, additional layers of bureaucracy, additional flag officer positions."

The administrant is making a major push to reduce the federal workforce. At the Pentagon, the goal is to reallocate resources, Hegseth said.

He suggested all areas of spending would be scrutinized. "And it's not just the fraud, waste and abuse stuff. It's systems, it's hierarchies, it's layers that we can review, reduce, recommend those reductions that then allows us to ensure that training and readiness in the frontline units is increased. I want more of that."
As part of the DOGE effort, he said, the Pentagon will seek to work with startups that can bring fresh ideas and innovation.
"We have some really fast-moving newer contractors that are willing to work, that have already put a lot of money into R&D that want to help us rapidly field these new systems that we're going to need for fights in the future."

Defense Innovation Unit shifts focus to rapid deployment of commercial tech

The Defense Innovation Unit, the Pentagon's bridge to the commercial sector, is recalibrating its investment strategy to prioritize technologies that can be rapidly deployed and mass-produced, as opposed to early-stage research projects.

DIU, established in 2015 to accelerate the adoption of private-sector innovations for national security, has played a key role in commercial space investments, backing initiatives in satellite communications, space logistics, and launch systems. Under its new mandate, the agency is focusing on solutions that can be fielded within 12 to 24 months, according to DIU adviser Gary Henry, a former SpaceX executive.

Speaking at the SmallSat Symposium last week, Henry noted growing interest in leveraging SpaceX's Starship for in-space refueling operations, though DIU's overarching mission now centers on scaling commercially viable technologies at speed.
"We were doing things maybe three or four years ago that were at speed but not necessarily scalable. That's all changed," he said.
The strategic realignment extends across DIU's entire portfolio, including space, cyber, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.

Ric Mommer, DIU's head of commercial space engagement, said priorities are now directly shaped by the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff, aligning with the needs of combatant commands. "If it's mature, ready for market, and aligned with those priorities, we want to get you on contract producing faster than you're comfortable with," he said.

Space Force looks to fill blind spots in space domain awareness

The U.S. military's space tracking systems are straining to keep up with increasingly sophisticated threats from China and Russia, raising concerns among military leaders and industry experts about America's ability to protect its critical space assets, we report in the latest issue of SpaceNews Magazine.

The problem: Space Force operators at Vandenberg are still largely manually tracking roughly 47,000 objects in orbit using the Space Surveillance Network. But with thousands of new satellites launching and adversaries demonstrating advanced capabilities, this labor-intensive approach is becoming unsustainable.

What's next: The Space Force is finally rolling out its Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) after years of delays, but experts say even this upgrade may not be enough. Military leaders are pushing for AI-enabled systems that can operate at "machine speed," while congressional committees are pressing for greater integration with commercial tracking services.

Bottom line: "The emerging space threat is no longer emerging. It is here," wrote former Space Command officials John Shaw and Sean Kirkpatrick in a recent CSIS report, warning that both China and Russia have deployed space weapons aimed at undermining U.S. military advantages.

Quotable: "What we shouldn't do is study the problem for the next 10 years, because then we'll just be reacting to the systems that are fielded by our competitors." — Brien Flewelling, ExoAnalytic Solutions.

Can Trump's 'Iron Dome for America' Overcome Bureaucratic and Budgetary Hurdles?

A new white paper from the National Security Space Association (NSSA) says the Trump administration's "Iron Dome for America" executive order is a "long-overdue" effort to leverage space systems for homeland defense.

NSSA highlights several issues that the administration and Congress would have to address to successfully field a comprehensive missile shield as laid out in the executive order.

Defining Requirements

It remains unclear which agency will set the requirements for individual elements — including space-based sensors, interceptors, and ground-based components — and how they will be integrated into a unified system.

Roles and Missions

The success of the Iron Dome EO depends on clear coordination between multiple combatant commands and agencies. The roles of U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command in coordinating air and missile defense operations need to be clarified.

Acquisition Process

The Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Army, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, all have a stake, but their roles must be clearly defined. The EO directs the Secretary of Defense to assess whether new acquisition authorities or organizational changes are needed to accelerate development. NSSA warns that without streamlined acquisition, the program risks bureaucratic gridlock.

Classification & Security Concerns

A significant challenge in integrating space-based missile defense is the high classification of many critical technologies. Some argue that keeping space-based defenses secret enhances security, while others say greater transparency would strengthen deterrence. NSSA suggests the administration consider selective declassification to ensure seamless integration with U.S. military operations.

Securing Long-Term Funding

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to Iron Dome will be funding. The total price tag remains uncertain. With frequent continuing resolutions delaying the annual Pentagon budget, NSSA warns that funding uncertainty could derail the program.

In other news 🚀

Venture capitalists in the space industry are witnessing a shift in investment trends as startups once urged to focus on commercial markets increasingly pivot toward defense and intelligence applications to attract funding.

"One topic that has sort of started to emerge in the past couple of years, but really reached a head last year is the emergence of pure defense tech investing," said Timur Davis, investment director at Munich Re Ventures.

Space technology startup True Anomaly has appointed former Pentagon official Frank Calvelli to its board of directors.

The move follows the recent hiring of another former defense official, Stephen Kitay, as senior vice president, underscoring the company's push into the defense sector.

Calvelli most recently served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, where he was responsible for overseeing Space Force technology development and procurement programs.

Iridium Communications is assessing the use of small satellites to demonstrate advanced Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) capabilities, said CEO Matt Desch.

He said small satellites could also support efforts to develop a very high-frequency (VHF) radio system for improving pilot communications with Aireon, which already provides aircraft surveillance services using hosted payloads on Iridium's satellites.