adminLt. Gen. John Thompson of the Space and Missile Systems Center revealed that the US is battling the space fight for the private sector to collaborate with it and accelerate space technology advancement.
In his submission to the Air Force Association’s Virtual Air Space Cyber Conference, Thompson stated that the private industry is vital in realizing the growth of technology in the space industry. Thompson explained that the Space Force’s establishment ensures that the industry remains intact and can compete favorably with other countries.
Space and Missile Systems Center is the primary customer for space technologies to utilize for military weaponization. SMC is in the middle of restructuring its systems, which means developing a strong bond with the private sector to tap into their technology to remain the superpower in space operations.
Thompson retorts that they are preparing to arm themselves in the wake of China, weaponizing their space programs. He added that they are just reciprocating the same actions that China is currently conducting in space. Thompson is hopeful that the Americans’ competitiveness will help the country remain a superpower in space operations if they integrate the government operations with those of the private sector.
Thompson reiterates that the US’s dominance in the local and international competitions is because of their urgency in venturing markets and inventing new technical methods of conducting operations. The US intends to utilize Space Force to mobilize its space resources and technology and develop the next-generation satellites for its space operations.
The head of operations at the United Launch Alliance, Tory Bruno, advised in a webinar that the Space Force must outrightly declare what it requires to work together towards a common goal. Bruno explains that the government should clearly articulate its plan so that the private industry can bring in their capital and commercial capacities to serve the customers.
Bruno explains that space operations’ success depends on teamwork, not just focusing on one product or a single firm. Bruno added that they must work out a functioning supply chain that will meet the needs of all the US firms involved in space activities. Technology must be integrated into the system to develop an emergency unit that will help the space programs experiencing anomalies.
To conclude, Barbara Barrett of the Air Force explained that competition involves the affordable development of advanced technology systems that compete the US adversaries. She added that the upcoming satellites and spacecraft would be utilizing the best engineering designs by the country’s innovative minds.
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