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Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Purdy, Jr., the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition, used a keynote at the Space Foundation’s 41st Space Symposium on April 15 to showcase momentum from the Space Force’s acquisition overhaul. Addressing Guardians and industry leaders, he said the enterprise has shifted from planning to execution, with an emphasis on delivering integrated, resilient warfighting capability at speed and with accountability. “It’s not enough as acquirers or industry to deliver a satellite, a software piece — you have to deliver the integrated warfighting capability,” Purdy said.
Purdy cited a string of programs that have reached operational acceptance, the formal transition of a defense capability from acquisition to operational use. He led with the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System, a modernization effort that updates how the service tracks, analyzes, and safeguards space operations.
Since ATLAS was accepted in September 2025, the system has supported processing of more than 170 launches, 763 decays, two fragmentations, cataloging of over 2,800 objects, at least 474 re-entries, and the generation of more than 22.4 million orbital element sets. “[ATLAS] was a critical function for the recent Artemis launch, protecting our astronauts, as they were doing a lunar flyby,” Purdy stressed.
He also pointed to the Advanced Scheduling Tool, operationally accepted in November 2025, which replaced a decades-old paper-based approach and allowed personnel to shift to higher-priority work. Additional programs he named as recently accepted included the Enhanced Polar System, the Rocket Systems Launch Program, Federal Augmentation Services, the Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution, and the Remote Modular Terminal.
Beyond delivered capability, Purdy said the acquisition changes are instilling a speed-first mindset across programs. As an example, he described the Space Warfighting Operational Readiness Domain: after being tasked to help digitize the range, the unit behind SWORD reworked its plan in two months, executed new contracts, and three months later partnered with industry to field a highly classified system. He added that Ground Based Radar Digitization moved from creation to approval in under six months by embracing the same approach, and he applauded the Space-Based Interceptor and National Security Space Launch efforts for prioritizing speed.
Purdy emphasized his list was not exhaustive, calling it a rapid-fire sampling of recent progress. “We know space acquisition is important,” Purdy said. “We are supporting major military operations that require us to deliver with speed and discipline because lives depend on it.”
