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COLORADO SPRINGS — A recent executive order from the prior administration, issued April 9, is underscoring the U.S. Space Force’s accelerating efforts to incorporate commercial technologies into its operations. The directive, instructing the Pentagon to prioritize commercial solutions in its acquisition strategy, validates the Space Force’s existing initiatives to leverage private-sector space technologies, a service official stated April 10.
Colonel Richard Kniseley, leading the Commercial Space Office (COMSO) within the Space Force’s Space Systems Command, characterized the order as “an exclamation point” affirming ongoing initiatives to modernize the Pentagon’s methods for acquiring space-based capabilities.
“We have witnessed substantial grassroots progress within COMSO … demonstrating the remarkable potential of commercial capabilities,” Kniseley informed reporters at the Space Symposium.
The executive order, formally titled “Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base,” is designed to reform Department of Defense procurement processes by emphasizing commercial products and streamlining defense acquisitions.
Bridging Commercial and Military Sectors
COMSO is embedded within the Space Force’s acquisition arm, Space Systems Command (SSC). While traditional defense contracting mechanisms manage much of the military’s space hardware procurement, SSC adopted a revised approach several years prior, summarized as: “Utilize existing resources, acquire commercially available solutions, and develop only when necessary.”
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Established in 2023 to execute this strategy, COMSO oversees the Commercial Satellite Communications Office and SpaceWERX, the Space Force’s innovation division and part of the Department of the Air Force’s AFWERX. The office also manages initiatives such as the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) and the Space Domain Awareness Marketplace, both aimed at integrating private-sector technologies for satellite and space debris tracking.
Furthermore, the Space Force introduced a comprehensive commercial strategy the previous year to provide overarching guidance.
Kniseley pointed out increasing interest from military combatant commands in leveraging commercial satellite services, specifically for communications and target tracking. He also noted that the Pentagon’s budgetary framework, primarily focused on established “programs of record,” presents obstacles to reallocating funds toward non-traditional commercial services.
Congressional Support
Congressional support has been indispensable for COMSO’s projects, according to Kniseley. Legislators allocated $50 million in the 2024 defense appropriations bill and $40 million for 2025, specifically earmarked for commercial space services.
“This funding has significantly enhanced the relevance of our commercial services program,” he stated.
He emphasized that efforts to broaden commercial integration were already well-advanced before the executive order. “Considerable progress has been underway behind the scenes, predating the recent executive order announcement,” Kniseley clarified.
In late 2023, Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein and then-senior procurement executive Frank Calvelli — who concluded his tenure with the change in presidential administration — jointly issued a directive compelling procurement officials to reassess their requirements and “determine which can transition to commercial or international providers, and which necessitate custom development.”
This evaluation remains ongoing, with a concluding report anticipated “within the next couple of months,” Kniseley indicated. He suggested that the findings “will likely influence future budget considerations,” elaborating that the process includes scrutinizing companies offering relevant services by assessing “their investments, contract portfolios, and the capabilities they offer.”
Resource Requirements
Despite the push for commercial integration, Kniseley acknowledged that expanding the utilization of private-sector services will be a gradual process and will necessitate additional resources.
“I interpret the executive order more as an affirmation of our ongoing initiatives,” he commented. “However, it will necessitate increased budgetary allocations, and additional resources, typically including personnel.”
He highlighted the demand for contracting specialists possessing expertise in commercial contracting methods. Kniseley added that defense committees within Congress “demonstrate strong support for commercial solutions and have been highly responsive to many of our requests.”
Expanding Commercial Services
The military’s interest in commercial space services spans numerous operational domains. Key areas include satellite communications, high-resolution imagery and geospatial data analytics, space object tracking for threat identification, and commercial positioning, navigation, and timing solutions to augment GPS capabilities.
The Space Force is also investigating emerging commercial capabilities such as responsive launch services—the capacity to rapidly deploy satellites or replace compromised assets via commercial providers. Other areas of interest encompass in-orbit servicing, debris removal, and satellite refueling, collectively termed space access, mobility, and logistics. Environmental monitoring represents another sector where commercial providers deliver weather intelligence and environmental analyses crucial for military mission planning and operations.