Inaugural Contracts Eyed for Commercial Space Reserve, SSC Official Says

The Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office plans to hold an industry session in August for the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, envisioned for voluntary support to space missions in times of war or crisis. Col. Richard Kniseley, senior materiel leader of COMSO, disclosed that the event is geared toward issuing the first CASR contracts, including their provisions, by the end of 2024.

According to Kniseley, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, COMSO will be finalizing CASR strategies and concepts, including company incentives to join the reserve, to ensure its success, Breaking Defense reported Friday.

Addressing the recent Washington Space Business Roundtable, Kniseley said COMSO will continuously release to CASR companies documents on Space Force mission areas for review and comments to build voluntary partnerships.

In a separate report Saturday, Kniseley told SpaceNews that CASR has received a major boost, with its authorization under the House Armed Services Committee strategic forces subcommittee’s draft 2025 defense policy bill. The initial contracting actions under the program will likely include space domain awareness, he said.

The Space Systems Command initiated CASR in early 2024, with the Pentagon expressing support for the concept similar to its Civil Reserve Air Fleet program augmenting the Department of Defense’s airlift requirements.