Space Force Acquisition Branch to Deploy Resilient Systems by 2026, Official Says

Space Force officials expect the service’s main acquisition branch to achieve “maximum operational capability” in 2026.

Joy White, the executive director of the Space Systems Command, said the organization will come out with new resilient space systems within the given timeline.

White said that SSC’s bid to rapidly build out resilient constellations is in line with the vision set by Air Force and Space Force leaders, C4ISRNET reported Friday.

The 2026 target date was set by SSC Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein amid growing concerns about on-orbit threats, the executive director said.

White added that the field command plans to enhance resiliency by finding new ways to work with industry and improving its internal processes.

In January, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, a three-time Wash100 winner, said that building resilience in space architectures is one of his top priorities.

Despite space’s nascent status as a warfighting domain, Kendall said that space systems are already critical to many military functions, including intelligence, navigation and communications.

Officially founded in August 2021, SSC is the second of the Space Force’s three field commands. The other two are the Space Operations Command and the Space Training and Readiness Command.

SSC performs the duties of the legacy Space and Missile Systems Center, including the development of next-generation technologies and the procurement of satellites and launch services.

SSC has an annual budget of $9 billion and a workforce of more than 6,000 military and civilian personnel and contractors, SpaceNews previously reported.