WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force was created in 2019 to supervise military space activities, but purchases of space technologies are still spread across various agencies.
This makes it complicated for companies and lawmakers, according to Steve Jordan Tomaszewski, senior director of national security space at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA).
“We regularly receive questions about who purchases what in the national security space field,” he said.
In response, AIA published an infographic showcasing 15 organizations that are major participants in national security space purchases within the Defense Department and the intelligence community.
“We understand that this is not a complete list, but we believed this would be useful to display the current situation, a snapshot at this point in time,” said Tomaszewski.
According to him, from rockets and satellites to sensors, orbital vehicles, ground systems, software, and other advanced technologies, the purchasing process is a complex challenge even for experienced professionals.
Despite the presence of a Space Force overseeing space matters, “they’re not the only space player in town,” according to Tomaszewski.
“Many senior leaders in industry, Capitol Hill, the Department of Defense and intelligence community would benefit from having an updated overview of who the major stakeholders are,” he added.
