29 Mar 2023 Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, HASC Committee Hearing: FY24 Defense Budget Request:On the FY24 requested space budget [It’s all about balancing resources and making sure you’re advancing. I think $33B is adequate. Key is how we apply it. We’re applying it for offense and defense space programs. We also have to be careful around weaponization of space. Space is critical to our way of life and our country. Proliferation, redundancy, that’s what I’m advocating for. $33B is a good amount it all comes down to where we put it.]
28 Mar 2023 Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, USSF, HAC-D Budget Hearing FY24 Request for the USAF and USSF: In response to Rep. Calvert's question on ground AQ programs [It should be noticed that a lot of the ground components are software based. This is due to network centric constructs for cyber defense and that’s what complicates this. How we make these requirements is something we’re working through. Calvelli is hands on with these programs to get it right.]
28 Mar 2023 Frank Kendall, Secretary, USAF, HAC-D Budget Hearing FY24 Request for the USAF and USSF: In response to Rep. Calvert's question on ground AQ programs [I think there’s a tendency in space programs historically to emphasize satellite over ground. Ground is normally software intensive and we have a problem with software programs throughout DoD. Also, cybersecurity requirements have gotten more stringent over time. If you don’t design for it upfront and overlay it over time, it gets more difficult. Getting contractors to make sure they don’t have those kinds of difficulties, it’s important. Frank Calvelli and I have talked about this a number of times and he released his tenets. One is paying just as much attention to the ground as the satellite. We’re working on this.]
28 Mar 2023 Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), HAC-D, HAC-D Budget Hearing FY24 Request for the USAF and USSF: [FY24 budget is 30.2B$. Largest ever for the service. I’m pleased to see the increase. I’ve been impressed with the work of SDA and rapid AQ. We need to get after it faster and leverage industry…….I’d like to hear how Gen. Saltzman is shaping the SF for the future.]
[I’m encouraged by the requirements, especially the shift to digital engineering. Yet I fear we’re still not moving fast enough. New defense AQs on the horizon, I’m challenging AF to set an example.]
[Last month, report on top five performing space AQ programs… They were polar, satcom, GPS 3F, NSS space launch, space based weather… Poorest was GPS operational control segment, space C2, fab-t terminals, GPS user equipment, enterprise ground program. All five of the lowest performing are ground. Biggest problem in space seems to be ground. Why is that so hard to deliver and what can we do to correct that?]
27 Mar 2023 Col. Christopher Putman, Commander, SPACECENT, USSF, AFA Fireside Chat: [I’m not interacting with industry and SSC right now but that’s part of the plan. I need an AQ professional to come work on my staff. It’s definitely in the plans and we’re going to get after it. We’ll have that professional on board this summer and we’re going to keep getting that expertise there so we can work better with industry.]
24 Mar 2023 Theresa Hitchens, Reporter, Breaking Defense, Breaking Defense “Space Development Agency’s FY24 budget request skyrockets to $4.7B”: "Breaking down SDA’s budget has become a bit of an art now that it has been integrated with the Space Force, as the budget-meisters at the Department of the Air Force (which oversees both the Space Force and the Air Force) now are disaggregating the agency’s funding lines — and doing so in a way that does not strictly track with SDA’s own programmatic architecture."
23 Mar 2023 Hon. William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, DoD, HASC Cyber, IT, and Innovation Subcommittee Hearing: Science, Tech, and Innovation at DoD: [Mid-tier AQ came in 2018, there are 130 active programs. It’s growing. Do we need to do more yes but for example, Space Development Agency (SDA) it’s all they’re doing.]
23 Mar 2023 Charlotte Gerhart, Chief Tactical SATCOM Acquisition Delta, MilComm & PNT, USSF, Women In Aerospace: Future Architectures: On SSC contracting [We buy nothing without contracts. They’re helping us move the ball forward.]
23 Mar 2023 Shannon Pallone, Deputy SFPEO, BMC3, SSC, USSF, Women In Aerospace: Future Architectures: On SSC contracting [They’re continuously pushing me to look at things differently. They’re partners with us. I couldn’t do anything without that partnership. They’re bringing a lot of creativity to the table. I’ve really seen our contracting workforce rise to the challenge.]
23 Mar 2023 Barbara Golf, Executive Agent for Space Domain Awareness, SSC, USSF, Women In Aerospace: Future Architectures: [Exploit, buy, build. SDA is an enormous problem set. For so many years we spent a lot of time on position and velocity. SDA is so much more than that. Just because we put the build focus on the program of record, it doesn’t mean we aren’t looking at the exploit, buy. We’re open to exploit, buy across the mission space. When you look at the scope of the mission set, there might be things that we put at the bottom out of habit. Show us what we put away out of bad habits. Instead of going after the bigs, there may be opportunities to help us with missions that are still important but we haven’t put enough attention to.]
[How are we going to deploy services in a resilient manner to our user base? Space is contested. At SSC we’ve turned the corner, really taking a bigger picture view. It’s a key part.]
On SSC contracting [In my cell, they’re constantly hunting for more. Competition in every single thing. Looking across what’s the best bang for our buck. That’s something I’m seeing that’s now routine.]
23 Mar 2023 Dr. Claire Leon, Director (HQE) Space Systems Integration Office, SSC, USSF, Women In Aerospace: Future Architectures: On faster timelines [SDA has really put down a strategy around this and 2 year timelines. 10 AQ cycles, can’t fail programs, you invest a lot to make sure they’re right. I think we’ll see more and more SDA timelines….]
On allied by design [Calvelli has asked for metrics by PEO for what aspects are commercial and he expects every year for it to go up. We’re in a time of change and are actively looking for opportunities. We have to keep pursuing.]
15 Mar 2023 Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, USSF, McAleese Annual “Defense Programs” Conference: [Regards to lean agile and applies to acquisition…still plug into DoD hold to regulations…impressed with the way Frank Calvelli, focused on space acquisition able to set standards and hold industry base to standards. Small contracts leverage technology can…thinking in terms of two or three years to prove out concept. The way he is viewing it and how flat organization is, feedback low to him and fast, and can raise to decision forums….feedback needs to make enhancements.]
[SSC commercial services office [is] building partnerships to improving ability to leverage commercial off shelf capabilities. Industry partners vital to deter and if necessary, defeat China.]
15 Mar 2023 Sen. Joni Ernst (R-AI), SASC, McAleese Annual “Defense Programs” Conference: [Need to streamline acquisitions process, to get more of small business engaged in space.]
15 Mar 2023 Chris Gordon, Reporter, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Air & Space Forces Magazine “How Do You Train for a War in Space? Saltzman Says USSF Is Working on the Details”: "In light of new threats, most acutely from China, the USSF has moved with urgency. Its fiscal 2024 budget request proposes growing the budget by 15 percent to $30 billion and expanding to 9,400 Active Guardians. The service wants to rapidly put new satellites in orbit, with some going from development to orbit in two or three years. The Space Force also wants to rely more on commercial capabilities, which may be preexisting and can provide a layer of redundancy."
14 Mar 2023 Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, USSF, SASC-SF Hearing: USSF in Review of DAR FY24 and FYDP: [I’ve been very impressed with how Frank Calvelli has reorganized. He’s focused on several different things… buying smaller sats, shorter term contracts…]
[We want to make sure before we commit, if there is well developed technology we leverage it to the max extent. Where there is well developed technology we should take advantage of those. I can’t speak to all the programs that have ever existed but I can assure you the AQ community has shifted.]
On effort line number three strengthening partnerships [Commercial partners will be key in AI/ML, propulsion, OSAM… SSC Commercial Services Office are building these partnerships.]
08 Mar 2023 Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Chairman, HASC-SF, HASC-SF Hearing: FY24 Strategic Forces Posture: [I’ll push the Department to create a space policy we can debate in public so we’ll take a hard look at classifications and continue to look for ways to speed up space AQ.]
07 Mar 2023 Brig. Gen. Jeffery Valenzia, Advanced Battle Management System Cross Functional Team Lead, USAF, 2023 AFA Warfare Symposium: [We’re bringing the operator's voice in in a comprehensible way to the AQ community… If we don’t do these things right, I don’t think we can expect that we’ll get magic technology that will bring this together for us.]
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