Space Force Chief Says Development Spending Will Survive Budget Cuts

Gen. Chance Saltzman, the U.S. Space Force‘s chief of space operations, said in an interview on Tuesday that a $600 million reduction in his organization’s fiscal year 2025 budget will not hinder spending on resilient architectures to deliver missile warning, satellite communications and precise navigation capabilities.

Saltzman, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker and a 2024 Wash100 winner, added that the Space Force is also investing in operational tests and training infrastructure to prepare Guardians to handle potential threats, the Department of Defense said.

The service branch’s FY2025 budget is $29.4 billion, a two percent dip from FY2024’s $30 billion, with reductions seen in procurement and research, development, testing, and evaluation. The Space Force’s funding is part of the Department of the Air Force budget.

Saltzman said less procurement money is not necessarily an issue as it will just require his organization to change its timelines. As an example, he indicated that the Space Force could adjust its two-year cadence of purchasing satellite launch rockets.