By Sandra Erwin
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 week's edition: Colorado's GOP delegation downplays the impact of Space Command's relocation, military satcom turns to small GEO sats and there's new leadership at Space Force HQ and the Space Development Agency
If someone forwarded you this edition, sign up to receive it directly in your inbox every Tuesday. And we're eager to hear your feedback and suggestions. You can hit reply to let me know directly. | | |
|
|
|
Colorado GOP delegation soft pedals fallout from Space Command HQ relocation
The dust continues to settle following the announcement last week that President Trump is directing the relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.
The decision caps a contentious battle that stretched across two presidential administrations and multiple Pentagon reviews. Space Command, which oversees military operations in space and was reestablished in 2019, has been temporarily headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs.
Colorado lawmakers in a joint statement suggested the fight is not over, stating they "will take the necessary action" to keep the command in Colorado. The bipartisan pushback reflects the economic and strategic importance of the command to the state, which has positioned itself as a hub for military space operations.
But Colorado Republicans in a separate statement said they intend to work with the Trump administration to "minimize the impacts of this move and to continue to increase the space economy in Colorado." The Republicans also downplayed the economic hit to their state, arguing the move would cause less damage than previously feared.
Revised job loss projections
The GOP lawmakers' statement offered a more optimistic assessment of the economic fallout than previous estimates. "What was once expected to result in the loss of more than 1,700 jobs will now likely only impact approximately 1,000 positions in total," said the Republicans' statement. "This marks a significant improvement from the original projection and a positive outcome for our state."
They also said that "important operational elements of Space Command will remain in Colorado Springs, preserving much of the economic driver for our region." This suggests that while the headquarters' function would move, some operations and personnel would remain at the existing Colorado facilities.
Colorado's GOP lawmakers also said they "confirmed the move will take significant time to complete, and in the intervening years, the Department of War's presence in Colorado is expected to continue its rapid growth. This includes the Space Force, which has grown by 1,500 personnel in Colorado since 2019, and is expected to grow an additional 500 positions in the next few years. Therefore, the growth of our Space Force operations has outpaced any loss."
Alabama celebrates long-sought victory
Alabama lawmakers are hailing the move as validation of their state's military space credentials. House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers said his state won fair and square, as Huntsville offers lower costs, higher security and better quality of life for service members.
The Redstone Arsenal area in Huntsville has long been a center for Army missile and space programs, housing NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command.
Rep. Dale Strong, a Republican who represents Huntsville, said he respects his Colorado colleagues but believes the debate has dragged on long enough. "Huntsville was the rightful winner," he said.
| | |
|
|
|
Leadership shuffle hits Space Force and SDA
The Pentagon on Friday announced senior leadership changes inside the U.S. Space Force, naming new deputies for operations and strategy while elevating two generals. Lt. Gen. David Miller will oversee strategy, plans, and programs, replacing Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton.
Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess takes over operations from retired Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt.
Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon is up for a third star and will lead the new Combat Forces Command, a redesignation of Space Operations Command focused on warfighting readiness.
Maj. Gen. Steven Whitney, also nominated for lieutenant general, heads to the Joint Staff as J-8 director, shaping force structure and resources across the military.
Head of Space Development Agency steps down
Derek Tournear has stepped down as director of the Space Development Agency to take a position as Auburn University's first director of space innovation. Tournear, an early advocate of using commercial technologies in military satellites, will be based in Washington and report to Auburn's Applied Research Institute in Huntsville.
His move comes as Alabama deepens its stake in military space, with U.S. Space Command headquarters relocating to Huntsville and the state pushing to expand ties to defense and aerospace.
SDA announced on Monday that Gurpartap Sandhoo was named acting director. The leadership change comes as the agency prepares to launch its first batch of 21 low-Earth orbit satellites for global comms and missile warning as early as Wednesday — a critical test of the agency's rapid-acquisition model. | | |
|
|
|
Space Force bets on small GEO satellites
The U.S. Space Force is attempting to rewrite the playbook for satellite communications. For decades, the military has relied on massive, multi-ton geostationary (GEO) spacecraft like WGS and MUOS to beam secure comms worldwide. Now, with adversaries sharpening electronic warfare tools, the Pentagon sees risk in a handful of high-value targets. The answer: swarms of smaller, cheaper GEO satellites.
The new Protected Tactical Satcom-Global (PTS-G) program, launched this summer, is the test case. Five companies — Astranis, Boeing, Intelsat, SES, Northrop Grumman and Viasat — won $37.5 million in design contracts, with demonstrations due in 2026. Follow-on awards could be worth up to $4 billion over 15 years, with the first batch of satellites ("Swarm 1") slated for launch in 2028.
👉 For a closer look at PTS-G, check out the latest SpaceNews deep dive.
The impact of this program could be significant. Instead of betting billions on bespoke platforms designed to last decades, Space Systems Command is leaning on commercial baseline designs — 300- to 1,000-kilogram buses for X-band and Ka-band military communications. The swarm concept aims to spread risk, boost resilience and compress development cycles that once stretched into decades.
The contract pits upstart Astranis — a San Francisco smallsat specialist already shipping 400-kilogram GEO craft — against legacy incumbents Boeing and Northrop, who bring decades of military satcom pedigree. SES, fresh off its Intelsat acquisition, is pushing into the prime integrator role. Viasat is in the mix too, though quiet publicly.
Some players, like XTAR and AscendArc, didn't make the PTS-G cut but are eyeing the looming replacement of the MUOS narrowband satcom fleet as an opportunity.
If PTS-G works, it could accelerate procurement reform. "It's encouraging that you have the department wanting to use commercial services to a greater extent than it has in the past," said Sam Wilson of the Aerospace Corporation.
Recent defense budget requests and congressional pushes for commercial-first procurement suggest the Pentagon is serious. PTS-G could set the template for how the U.S. buys and fields satellites for years to come. | | |
|
|
|
FROM SPACENEWS |  | Do you know an individual, company or breakthrough that's making waves in the space industry? Nominations for the 2025 SpaceNews Icon Awards are open through Sept. 12. Share who you think deserves to be recognized for innovation, leadership and impact in space. Categories include Lifetime Achievement, Emerging Space Company, Innovative Technology and more —view the full list and submit your picks. | | |
|
|
|
SpaceNews' latest national security coverage
|
|
|
|
Sign up for our other newsletters First Up: The latest civil, commercial and military space news, curated by veteran journalist Jeff Foust. Delivered Monday to Friday mornings. China Report: Analysis of China's space activities and what it means as one of the United States' top competitors from correspondent Andrew Jones. Delivered every other Wednesday. SpaceNext AI: Exploring the intersection of space and artificial intelligence. Delivered Thursday. SpaceNews This Week: A round-up of the week's top stories, including our conference coverage. Delivered Friday. Video & Audio: Upcoming live programs, scheduled guests, and recent Space Minds podcast episodes, webinars and other events. Delivered Friday. Marketing Minute: Covering PR, marketing, and advertising trends, upcoming SpaceNews opportunities, and editorial insights for communications and marketing leaders. Delivered monthly. |
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment