WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force will evaluate commercial alternatives to its bespoke military surveillance satellites in geostationary orbit, a move that could reshape the way the Pentagon monitors space as rivals like China and Russia ramp up their capabilities, a senior official said March 11.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, the acting acquisition executive for the Space Force, has directed program offices to assess how commercially developed satellites and sensors could either replace or augment the military’s existing fleet of Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites.
Speaking at a Washington Space Business Roundtable event , Purdy underscored the urgency of exploring industry-led solutions that could offer faster and more cost-effective capabilities.
“I’ve asked the team to give me a commercial analysis on what kind of capabilities could we provide, on what timeline and at what cost compared to any existing programs of record,” Purdy said. His directive came this week in the form of an “acquisition decision memorandum,” requiring program offices to consider commercial solutions alongside traditional government-developed systems.
Balancing cost, speed, capability
The Space Force’s GSSAP satellites, built by Northrop Grumman, operate near geosynchronous orbit (GEO) — approximately 22,000 miles above Earth — where they conduct rendezvous and proximity operations to inspect and monitor satellites. This region is home to some of the military’s most critical assets, including missile warning, communications, and intelligence-gathering satellites.
Purdy said there is now an opportunity to see if commercial space firms — buoyed by private investment — can deliver viable alternatives, and the Space Force will analyze the potential trade-offs. While commercial systems can be built faster and cheaper, military operators typically would have to agree to trade off some requirements that can’t be fully met with commercial systems, he said.
The challenge lies in striking the right balance between affordability, rapid deployment, and mission effectiveness, he said. “We have to pull our heads out of the legacy, out of the old way of doing business,” Purdy said, suggesting that the Space Force needs to reconsider whether achieving 100% of its requirements justifies bypassing innovations available in the commercial sector.
He stressed that periodic industry engagement is crucial to staying ahead of technological advancements. “What I tell people is you really have to pay attention and dip your head in the water every six months or so to understand what’s happening,” he added. “Space is happening so fast out in the commercial industry.”
The Space Systems Command, he said, has already received numerous commercial proposals for a geosynchronous situational awareness capability, following a request for information issued last fall.
International partners
Beyond commercial options, Purdy pointed to the potential for greater collaboration with international allies that have developed similar technologies.
“This is a capability that international partners have been clamoring to provide,” he said, noting that U.S. Space Command has expressed interest in unclassified solutions that could expand surveillance capabilities while enhancing cooperation with allies.
Working with international and commercial partners, Purdy suggested, could help the Space Force achieve its goals without the same level of investment required for entirely bespoke military systems.
The acquisition directive on space domain awareness satellites is only the beginning. Purdy confirmed that similar acquisition reviews will take place across other Space Force mission areas, ensuring that commercial solutions are considered before committing to traditional development paths.
“There are now several programs that are slow, traditional, expensive, and there’s a potential that there might be commercial opportunities for each one of those,” he said.
This shift could have major implications for defense contractors, who may need to adjust their business models to compete with commercial players. The move also places new demands on industry leaders to provide clear, realistic assessments of their technology’s capabilities.
“We need truth in advertising from industry,” Purdy warned. “We need a good, solid understanding of what the capabilities are, not just marketing pitches. We need real technology understanding.”
At the same time, he cautioned that the Space Force must be disciplined about its requirements. “We have to watch our appetite control. We have to truly understand the technical environment. We have to be willing to take risks.”
