Key Takeaways
- •Lieutenant General Douglas Schiess (Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, U.S. Space Force) confirmed a pause on Vulcan rocket launches following a booster anomaly, delaying several national security payloads.
- •Marc Berkowitz (Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy) identified the "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative as the cornerstone of homeland defense against evolving ballistic and hypersonic threats from China.
- •Rep. Moulton (D-MA) challenged William Adkins (Principal Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office) regarding the reliance on voluntary industry cooperation to prevent commercial satellite imagery from exposing sensitive U.S. military movements.
- •Republicans prioritized accelerating acquisition for the "Golden Dome" program, while Democrats raised concerns about the lack of a public space strategy and the over-classification of space activities.
- •The hearing established priorities for the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, including expanding the space industrial base and modernizing GPS to counter adversary jamming and spoofing.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
This hearing examined the strategic priorities, acquisition reforms, and operational challenges facing the United States’ national security space enterprise. As space becomes an increasingly contested warfighting domain, the discussion focused on maintaining space superiority against pacing threats from the People's Republic of China and Russia. Central to the testimony was the integration of commercial technology, the transition to proliferated satellite architectures, and the development of the "Golden Dome"—a next-generation missile defense initiative intended to protect the homeland from hypersonic and ballistic threats.
Key Testimony & Policy
Witnesses emphasized that space is now the "most important domain of warfare," a sentiment echoed by Marc Berkowitz (Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy). He highlighted the "Golden Dome" initiative, a presidential priority designed to create a layered defense-in-depth, utilizing a space layer for global sensing, data transport, and missile defeat. This architecture is intended to counter advanced cruise missiles and hypersonics while strengthening overall strategic deterrence.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the U.S. Space Force detailed a significant shift toward "proliferated architectures." William Adkins (Principal Deputy Director, NRO) testified that the NRO is in the third year of a transformational pivot, having launched over 200 satellites to create the largest government constellation in history. This move away from a few "exquisite" satellites toward many smaller, more resilient systems is intended to ensure capability even if individual assets are targeted. Similarly, Lieutenant General Douglas Schiess (Deputy Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force) discussed the "Space Force Generation" (SPAFORGEN) process, which aims to provide ready, trained forces to combatant commands for missions like missile warning and electromagnetic warfare.
Acquisition reform remained a primary focus. Thomas Ainsworth (Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration) described the implementation of the Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) construct, which empowers leaders to make integrated tradeoffs across programs. The Department is increasingly utilizing Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and software acquisition pathways to match the speed of the commercial sector. However, the hearing also addressed setbacks, specifically the six-month delay in the Vulcan rocket program following a launch anomaly. This delay impacts several critical missions, including GPS launches, Silent Barker, and NRO payloads.
Notable Exchanges & Partisan Dynamics
A significant portion of the hearing involved sharp questioning from Rep. Seth Moulton (D, MA-6) regarding the over-classification of space programs. Rep. Moulton argued that the lack of a public space strategy undermines deterrence, as adversaries cannot be deterred by capabilities they do not know exist. He challenged Mr. Berkowitz on the transparency of the National Defense Strategy (NDS), noting that while the Department claims space is addressed in classified annexes, the public discourse remains insufficient for congressional oversight and public accountability.
Rep. Moulton also engaged in a tense exchange with Mr. Adkins and Brett Markham (Deputy Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) regarding commercial imagery safeguards. Following reports of sensitive troop movements being visible via commercial providers during conflicts in the Middle East, Rep. Moulton questioned whether the government was relying too heavily on the "goodwill" of for-profit companies rather than formal regulations. Mr. Adkins defended the current voluntary partnership model, while Rep. Moulton insisted that more robust force protection guidelines are necessary.
Chairman Scott DesJarlais (R, TN-4) focused on the operational impacts of the Vulcan rocket delays, questioning how the Space Force and NRO would mitigate the resulting gaps in launch capability. Lt. Gen. Schiess confirmed that some launches, including a GPS mission, would be moved to alternative providers to maintain the constellation's health. Additionally, Rep. Donald Norcross (D, NJ-1) raised concerns about the capacity of the industrial base to handle the massive projected increase in space spending, questioning whether the workforce and supply chains are mature enough to meet the demand.
Organizations Mentioned
- United States Space Force: Responsible for space control, missile warning, and providing specialized "Guardians" to support joint operations like Epic Fury and Midnight Hammer. - National Reconnaissance Office (NRO): Praised for its rapid deployment of proliferated satellite constellations and its 17th consecutive clean financial audit. - National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA): Manages the integration of commercial and national imagery and is currently investigating a strike in Iran involving a girl's school. - United Launch Alliance (ULA): Mentioned regarding the Vulcan rocket anomaly and the subsequent pause in launches affecting national security payloads. - United States Central Command (CENTCOM): Cited for its reliance on space assets to degrade Iranian capabilities and protect American forces in the Middle East. - National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC): Collaborates with NGA and the Space Force to use satellite data for early wildfire detection through the FireGuard program. - University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL): Highlighted as a key partner in the Geospatial Workforce Development Pilot Program to build a talent pipeline for the NGA.
What's Next
The subcommittee will use the testimony to inform the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Key follow-up items include the results of the Vulcan rocket root cause investigation and a pending update from the Moving Target Indication (MTI) Working Group. Members also requested more detailed briefings on the "Golden Dome" architecture and the Department's progress on reclassifying space programs to better integrate them into the joint fight.
Transcript
Today's hearing will come to order. Thank you for your patience. One of those days. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee meets today to receive testimony on the policies and programs related to national security space activities. Whitney's favorite subject. Good afternoon to our witnesses, and thank you for joining us today. Before us we have Mr. Marc Berkowitz, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. Mr. Thomas Ainsworth, performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. Mr. Brett Markham, Deputy Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Mr. William Adkins, Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. And last but not least, Lieutenant General Douglas Schiess, the Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, U.S. Space Force. Thank you all for being here. I believe this is the first time testifying for most of you, with the exception of Mr. Berkowitz, so welcome back, and we appreciate all your time and your service. Unfortunately, once again, we meet to review the Department's budget for space activities, but we do not have the President's budget request for this fiscal year. This lack of information makes our job much harder. Despite that, there are several topics we can discuss today that are central to how our national security space systems are currently performing and how you all are working to make sure that both our space operators and the joint force have what they need to fight and win in space. As we have seen recently in Iran, space has become instrumental to every conflict, with both space effects and support to the joint force. As CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper described it, the Space Force's capabilities are degrading Iranian capability and helping to protect American forces. Ukraine has also shown us the same lesson repeatedly, with jamming becoming routine and battle lines shifting with the availability of space-based communications. All our space capabilities play a vital role when it comes to winning the fight. Without PNT, secure communications, or ISR, our modern joint force would not be nearly as effective. Furthermore, space-based effects and space weapons are needed to break the red kill chains and defend our own space superiority. When it comes to protecting the homeland, Golden Dome missile defense architecture has space at its center and is being developed by the Space Force's own General Guetlein. All these systems are going to require acquisition at speed by committed and skilled professionals who can then work with highly trained operators to deploy these new capabilities on a relevant timeline. Mr. Ainsworth, I'd like to hear from you how the Department is balancing the natural tension between the desire to deploy capabilities as quickly as possible with the need to develop a robust space industrial base that is competitive and innovative. Mr. Adkins, the NRO's rapid deployment of proliferated constellations has clearly proven that the government can move quickly when it chooses to. I'd like to hear what lessons we have learned and what you would do differently. Lieutenant General Schiess, as the Space Force expands into these new mission areas that just five years ago would have seemed unheard of, and how you are working to make sure we aren't thinking about space operations the same way we always have. How are we incorporating technology that allows each Guardian to execute high-level strategy and not just following a checklist? Mr. Markham, how is NGA working with commercial companies to make sure that the combatant commands have not just exquisite intelligence, but also timely, actionable information? And finally, Mr. Berkowitz, everything I've talked about is underpinned by our policies in space. How the administration plans to normalize our approach to testing, training, and operations will be vital to an effective warfighting doctrine in and from space and ultimately our success in this domain. With that, now I recognize my friend and ranking member, Mr. Moulton, for his opening remarks.
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