Space Force to Release List of Companies to Form Part of Space Reserve

The U.S. Space Force will soon release a list of commercial companies to form part of its Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, a group formed to help fulfill its mission in times of conflict.

In a Jan. 30 interview with C4ISRNET, Col. Richard Kniseley, a senior materiel leader at the Space Force’s Commercial Space Office and a Potomac Officer Club speaker, said that the service could be ready to have several businesses sign a contract by late 2024, but it would be more feasible to do it in 2025.

The commercial space reserve was first announced by the Space Systems Command in 2023, C4ISRNET reported.

Partnering with commercial providers has raised concerns due to their reliability during wartime. The apprehension over depending on businesses came after SpaceX founder Elon Musk decided to take out the Starlink satellite broadband service during the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

However, the military branch has always seen potential in commercial technology. In 2023, it established the Common Integration Office to oversee efforts to adopt new technologies needed for various mission requirements.