Space Force details acquisition wins amid department-wide transformation at Air and Space Summit

The U.S. Space Force’s acquisition overhaul is beginning to yield measurable results, with empowered portfolio leaders, deeper ties to commercial industry, and a surge of contract activity, according to Thomas Ainsworth, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration.

As part of the initial implementation phase, the service has designated nine Portfolio Acquisition Executives, or PAEs, to drive decisions across programs. “Our nine PAEs are armed with the authority, resources, and talent to make decisions and be held accountable, not just manage programs,” Ainsworth said. He added that system-level requirements and more than 90% of non-restricted contracting authorities have been pushed down to the PAE level.

The restructured approach prioritizes minimum viable products over perfect, slower-to-field systems, aiming to accelerate iteration and better tap commercial innovation. Ainsworth said the service is pursuing commercial solutions as a first option and has intensified its engagement with the commercial space industrial base. “The strength of our space industrial base comes from the speed, innovation, and scale of both our traditional defense primes and the vibrant commercial space companies,” said Ainsworth.

SpaceWERX, the Space Force’s innovation arm, is helping pull private capital into defense-relevant technologies, the service said. Since February 2024, 170 companies have raised $2.8 billion in private funding associated with SpaceWERX efforts, validating a model that uses government dollars to attract venture investment. Over the past two years, the Space Force also notched nearly 20 new strategic funding increases, signaling that early-stage commercial efforts are transitioning into operational capabilities.

Over the last six months, the service executed major program pivots and awarded more than 35 contracts with a combined ceiling value of $53 billion, according to Ainsworth. Notable moves include leveraging commercial trades for domain awareness via RG-XX, strengthening both space and ground elements of missile warning architectures, and approving the Counter Communications System Meadowlands jammer, which the service says enables operators to control 300% more simultaneous missions to disrupt adversary communications. The new SDANet contract will support deployment, upgrades, and cybersecurity for resilient mesh networking that links Space Domain Awareness sensors.

Recent milestones also span launch and on-orbit capabilities. The service launched Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites 7 and 8 and Rocket Systems Launch Program’s STP-29A. It has also operationally accepted two Enhanced Polar System-Recap payloads, the Ground-Based Operational Surveillance System, and upgrades to Early Warning Radars.

“PAEs enable the U.S. Space Force to speed up our ability to acquire and deliver on accelerated timelines and at speed relevant to warfighter needs. By streamlining requirements, we can capitalize on commercial innovation to field competitive and resilient space capabilities to meet evolving national security challenges.”