AFRL Director Disappointed at Slow Pace in Building Resilient Space Architecture

Col. Eric Felt, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate, has expressed disappointment in the Space Force’s slow progress in building a more resilient space architecture.

Speaking at a National Security Space Association event, Felt said it is important for the nascent service branch to explore innovative capabilities to stay ahead of the competition and address warfighters’ mission-critical needs.

He recommends establishing a more balanced architecture that can address long-term problems and deliver short-term results, Federal News Network reported.

Criticisms aside, Felt acknowledged that a lot of thought comes into evolving existing capabilities, including weighing in on risks.

He lauded the Space Force for its efforts in using commercial broadband services from low-earth orbit, describing it as a good example of having a risk-averse mindset.

The service branch traditionally purchased satellite-based communications services from geostationary satellite operators but is now turning to LEO satellite operators, with the goal of maximizing faster speeds and lower latency provided by LEO broadband.

Despite ongoing procurement efforts, lawmakers continue to criticize the Space Force’s speed in terms of acquisition.

“I thought the new Space Force and the revival of the old Space Command were supposed to give America better options,” Rep. Jim Cooper wrote in a recent opinion piece in War on the Rocks.

House appropriators are also clamoring for more aggressive action in addressing longstanding space acquisition issues, saying the Air Force has made little progress in defining what the Space Force will be doing differently as a standalone service branch.