Hegseth: "It’s hard to think of anything more significant than space dominance "

Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Denver, CO on 22 Feb as part of his Arsenal of Freedom Tour. Here are a few highlights from his remarks at True Anomaly:

 

“We’re leveraging the best and brightest, the most talented Americans to ensure that we do deliver space superiority and space dominance. Our nation requires it.”

 

“They [warfighters] can’t succeed without all of you behind them. You literally are right behind them in this fight … the builders, designers, and engineers that are going to put those systems in the hands of warfighters … to give lethality to the leaders of the future inside of our military … we can’t literally deter that next conflict without companies like True Anomaly … We can’t rely on just the big guys, the conventional primes that have been right around for a long time. They create a lot of wonderful, exquisite platforms that do great things … and we continue to reply on those things but if we just rely on five companies that have the whole thing on lockdown, we’re screwed. We have to open the aperture and ensure that scrappy companies that have great ideas and the best and brightest are able to compete on a level playing field.”

 

“One of the biggest wars we’re fighting is against our own Pentagon bureaucracy … It is a unrelenting war of attrition inside our bureaucracy that we intend to win …because we’re the ones that get in the way of companies like this one having an opportunity to compete … if you have a system where just a few companies are allowed to maintain a monopoly or a grip on who gets to compete for what, you’re limiting the options to the President, to the warfighter. That can’t stand at a time where we are living in an urgent moment … It’s hard to think of anything more significant than space dominance.”

 

“President Trump demands ahead of schedule, under cost, ability to scale, delivering for the taxpayer and the warfighter. How many billions have we wasted through Pentagon bureaucracy, through process, through vendor-locked contracts where there’s sole source and no competition and we have no alternative at the Pentagon but to keep pouring in billions at programs that don’t deliver for 10-15 years. We can’t do that anymore.”

 

“If we’re going to have space dominance and deterrence, we need to unleash every single company possible. Golden Dome is a great example. We are running as fast as we can on Golden Dome to deliver for President Trump because we must defend our homeland.”

 

“Keep going, go fast … point out other companies that are running fast and help us break down barriers.”

 

 

Later, at Sierra Space, Hegseth said, “Today, the ultimate high ground … is hundreds of miles above our heads. Make no mistake. The fight for space is the fight for the future of the world as we know it.” Hegseth said the Aerospace industry has been “a cozy club of bloated overbudget prime contractors who got rich by failing the American people. They moved at a snail’s pace … they got slow, they got comfortable, and they got fat selling us yesterday’s technology tomorrow.”

 

“We cannot afford to have a fair fight in space — I’m not interested in orbital equity or orbital parity. We demand orbital dominance plain and simple.”

 

“Whoever controls space controls the fight.”

 

On Golden Dome for America, Hegseth said it is “a revolutionary shield of space-based weapons and sensors, a vigilant constellation of next-generation sensors and satellites that will see every threat from every corner of the globe paired with the network of space-based interceptors ready to neutralize any ballistic missile, any hypersonic weapon, any drone long before it threatens our homeland.”

 

 

FY27 Budget and Quotes

 

According to Air and Space Forces Magazine, “Service leaders have also called for USSF funding to double or triple in the coming years.”

 

 

SpaceNews: “Meink said one immediate priority is expanding the Space Warfighting Analysis Center, or SWAC … How the future force is designed, Meink said, “will be critical as the Space Force expands even faster in the next few years” … Meink did not outline specific growth targets … Meink said there appears to be momentum in the fiscal 2026 budget debate to increase the scope of Space Force activities.” – 23 Feb 2026

 

 

• SecAF on expanding Space Force: “We’re trying to increase the size of the Space Force because they need more of everything … there’s no question the Space Force is going to grow quite a bit compared to the other services.” – SpaceNews 23 Feb 2026

 

 

• Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, on how the Air Force outnumbers the Space Force by more than 30 to one: “Yet we must provide combat capabilities and combat forces across all domains, for nearly every joint force mission around the world. We can’t afford to waste energy or resources. We don’t have the capacity to surge hundreds of guardians to fill capability gaps until a solution arrives. The old manual ways are not going to cut it. We need to automate virtually all aspects of operating and orchestrating satellite constellations.” – SpaceNews 23 Feb 2026

 

 

• Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, on the “Objective Force” document: For the last year, a small team of expert analysts and strategists have been defining our future operating environment for 2040 … By 2040 we expect a strategic shift in space warfighting … It’s a comprehensive accounting of systems, units, personnel, numbers, facilities, all of the support requirements needed and the timelines of when we need them.” – SpaceNews 23 Feb 2026

 

Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, on the “Objective Force” document that paints a picture of what threats the Space Force might face in 2040 and what technology trends might drive operations in that environment: “In the end, we expect the objective force to provide all our internal and external stakeholders with the details needed to oversee, support, and build the Space Force our nation demands. I’m excited that I’ll be able to share more details on the objective force with a wider audience in the coming weeks and at all classification levels … New activities like on-orbit servicing, space commerce, and cyber agents will emerge as new centers of gravity that we must protect, defend, and address. The side that masters speed, agility, and resilience will have the luxury of setting the rules for that contest. Our adversaries have been working hard to transform space into an even more ambiguous and autonomous domain. So, to maintain our edge, we must evolve the Space Force.” – Air and Space Forces Magazine 23 Feb 2026

 

Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, on the “clear understanding of the Space Force our nation needs” associated with the “Objective Force” document: “If we’re going to move fast and if we’re going to take risks in the name of speed and combat effectiveness, we need a clear understanding of the Space Force our nation needs. And then we must focus our dollars and our energy on realizing that vision … By 2040, we expect a strategic shift in space warfighting. The space domain will be dominated by Artificial Intelligence, on-orbit proximity operations, and autonomous systems that can sense, decide, and act at machine speeds with little human input. New activities like on-orbit servicing, space commerce, and cyber agents will emerge as new centers of gravity that we must protect, defend, and address. And the side that masters speed, agility, and resilience will have the luxury of setting the rules for that contest. Our adversaries are working hard to transform space into an even more ambiguous and autonomous domain. So, to maintain our edge, we must evolve the Space Force … the Objective Force is our vision of how the Space Force must evolve over the next 15 years to achieve mission success. It’s the “what we need” and “how many do we need” for our systems, units, people, and supporting infrastructure, to ensure we will prevail in the Future Operating Environment.” – 23 Feb 2026

 

Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, on sharing a prototype of the “Objective Force” document with key stakeholders: “Just this morning, we had the opportunity to share a prototype of our Objective Force with key stakeholders from across industry, our government, and our allies. We started with three priority mission areas: Navigation Warfare, Space Domain Awareness, and Satellite Communications. Our goal was to gather feedback on the structure and the assumptions of key mission areas… and then apply those ideas across the force. Those who joined in that discussion this morning helped us do just that, and we plan to host similar engagements with a wider audience soon.” – 23 Feb 2026

 

 

Space-related nuggets

 

Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy is now senior advisor to the SecAF for Space Acquisition. Purdy, along with Thomas Ainsworth , who is Performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration, will speak on the panel, “Acquisition Reform: A Warfighting Imperative” at 1120MST on Wednesday at the AFA Warfare Symposium.

 

SecAF said on Monday the Department of the Air Force will establish around 27 “portfolio acquisition executives” with broad authority and responsibility spanning from requirements to sustainment and support, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine. Nine of those are for the Space Force. “What we are doing now is taking the things that have worked from all of those models [Air Force and Space Force Rapid Capabilities Office, Space Development Agency, National Reconnaissance Office] and putting them together into a single construct and delivering that and applying it across the entire department,” SecAF said. He added, “We’ve delegated about 85 percent of our contracting authority to the PAE’s chief of contracts. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, [but] that is a huge deal.” 

 

• Saltzman said, “We’ve retooled how we develop and deliver space capabilities by establishing our Program Acquisition Executives, redesigning our requirements development process, streamlining how we test and field new systems, and delivering new combat space systems to the joint fight.” He added, “Now, we are focused on mission outcomes, rather than compliance standards. We will limit our requirements to only what’s essential for industry to meet our operational challenges. Simply put: we’re defining the space effects the Joint Force needs to win and then giving our Program Managers the maneuver space to work with industry to solve those problems.” In addition, “Our PAEs will also help identify, categorize program complexity, characterize risk, and work with external stakeholders to ensure expectations are met” and “we’re toppling the silos that used to exist between acquisitions, test, and operations. In short, we will collect test data, determine the risks, quickly deliver a minimum viable product to the field, then, we will commit to a continuous cycle of improvements in operations.”

 

 

Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, Jr., Senior Advisor to the SecAF for Space Acquisition, on the space launch market: “We’re on path for mass-produced launch. We have got our ranges situated so we can do mass-produced launch. We’ve got our data centers and our data structure for mass-production. We’ve got AI pieces that are mass-produced, satellite buses are nearly there, and our payloads are the last element. Payloads at mass-produced affordability, at scale, is the key element … The point is to get missions out the door as fast as possible. Two to three years is too slow. We’ve got to get down to one week. I’m not talking about super exquisite [payloads]. That’s not most of our missions. The commercial industry, your Kuipers [Amazon LEO], your Starlinks, have sort of got the comm piece down, but we’re still struggling in a lot of other stuff.” – Ars Technica 23 Feb 2026

 

 

• Ars Technica: “The Space Force officer tasked with overseeing more than $24 billion in research and development spending says the Pentagon is more interested in supporting startups building new space sensors and payloads than adding yet another rocket company to its portfolio.” – 23 Feb 2026

 

 

• Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, Jr., Senior Advisor to the SecAF for Space Acquisition, on infrared sensors: “I remain convinced that we’re going to think about the mission that we need, and we’re going to need satellites out the door and launched and in orbit within the week, at scale. I’m very convinced that that’s the path that we’re going to move down on the commercial and government side.” – Ars Technica 23 Feb 2026

 

 

• Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Purdy, Jr., Senior Advisor to the SecAF for Space Acquisition, on the importance of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program: “I’ve got to get SBIRs and STRATFIs reauthorized, so I need the community’s help to get that done. There are some valid concerns that need to be addressed. All that needs to be addressed, but it affects the space industrial base a lot more than the other areas, and so I need everyone to kind of pile on and help get that done … Years of SBIRs and STRATFIs have set the stage … We’ve been doing that for three or four or five years, we’ve produced a nice pool of 60 or 70 different companies that can help bid on all our upcoming new contracts, which is really nice.” – Ars Technica 23 Feb 2026

 

 

Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, on the threats posed by China and Russia: “In just the last year, China conducted nearly 100 space launches, including the first 12 satellites in its Artificial Intelligence constellation designed to process data and make decisions with speed and scale. And just two weeks ago, they launched their reusable spaceplane for the fourth time. But it’s not just about the number of launches. They are expanding their space-based kill-webs, designed to find, fix, and target U.S. forces within seconds, anywhere in the world. They are building a warfighting architecture specifically designed to deny us freedom of action in all domains. At the same time, Russia has demonstrated its willingness to use cyber-attacks against commercial space systems – those supporting Ukraine. They have also launched experimental technologies into unique and concerning orbits, blurring the lines between military and civil space activities. The threats are moving faster than ever.” – 23 Feb 2026

 

 

Congress

 

According to Inside Defense, “The Pentagon intends to obligate more than $150 billion in fiscal year 2026 under the reconciliation package enacted last year, accelerating shipbuilding, missile defense and munitions production in what amounts to a one-year industrial surge.” The story adds, “nearly $25 billion is tied to the Golden Dome for America missile defense program. Major investments include: $7.2 billion for space-based sensors, $5.6 billion for space-based and boost-phase interceptors , $2.2 billion to accelerate hypersonic defense systems, $1.975 billion for ground-based missile defense radars.” According to Politico Pro, “This is also the most detailed look yet at how the Pentagon plans to spend $24 billion for Trump’s next-generation missile defense effort, which has struggled to make progress. But other items key to the administration’s space and missile defense agenda appear in limbo and are listed as “pending approval.” This includes money for space-based sensors and for satellites to track airborne targets. Several efforts are listed as classified.” The 85-page document is here.

 

On Golden Dome, according to Foreign Policy, “The Defense Department document shows that as much as $14 billion in spending for space capabilities relevant to Golden Dome are “pending approval” from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which releases federal funds.” Todd Harrison, senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, is quoted as saying, “Given that we are nearly halfway through the fiscal year, it will be difficult to use much of this money for [fiscal year] 2026, which means the allocations will carry forward to [fiscal year] 2027.”

 

 

Opinion

 

In a recent LinkedIn Post, Dauntless – Space shared, “The space domain is evolving faster than the institutions and ideas meant to guide it. Hence Dauntless – Space, the Guiding Star for Spacepower. While Dauntless – Space has been active as a fully independent, intelligent, and innovative journal for some time, we are proud to formally restablish our presence here on LinkedIn! As space continues to expand as an arena of security, commerce, and national power, the need for serious, cross-disciplinary dialogue has only grown. Dauntless – Space exists to contribute to that dialogue.” The Post added, “Our Strategy remains the same: be the open forum to advance American spacepower. Our Mission remains the same: be the authentic crucible for American spacepower. Our Vision remains the same: be the north star vision for American spacepower. Have you noticed we kinda like American spacepower? We invite you to follow the page, engage with our work, and join the conversation!”

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

This week, Space Beach Law Lab will be held in Long Beach, CA. According to their website, the lab is “an annual space law conference that offers deep insight into the ever evolving legal and regulatory landscape of the space industry.” Arthur Grijalva, Director of SpaceWERX, is a keynote speaker. SpaceWERX is the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a dedicated division within AFWERX. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX manages a $470M annual budget and a 50-person team focused on accelerating space-specific innovation for national security. For more information, please visit this link.

 

Fri, the inaugural SpaceCities conference will take place at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC. A new initiative from CityAge, this will bring together the leaders, investors and visionaries who are building the space future. We’ll look at where and how cities can take part in the wide spectrum of opportunities that are being developed in the trillion-dollar space economy. For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

Fri starting at 0800MT, the Denver Space Summit will take place at the Wings Over the Rockies (Centennial), 13005 Wings Way, Centennial, CO. According to their website, panels will include: Funding Your Space Venture, Data Centers in Space, Cis-Lunar Economny, Essentials for Emerging Companies and a feature presentation from an intriguing company coming out of Stealth. For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

On 4-5 Mar, Space-Comm Expo Europe will take place at Excel London, an international exhibition and convention centre in the Custom House area of Newham, East London. According to their website, the event provides a unique forum for government, military, and commercial sectors to collaborate and explore new opportunities to help drive growth and investment. The Expo will feature speakers from NASA, ESA, UN, NATO, the UK Space Agency and space agencies from around the world, alongside business leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists and academics. Major General Paul Tedman CBE, Commander, UK Space Command, Col. Shannon DaSilva, Commander, Space Delta 10, Space Training and Readiness Command, Patrick Space Force Base, and Dr. Everett Dolman, Professor of Space Strategy. Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, are among the speakers. For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

On 4-5 Mar, the 12th Annual Joint Space Operations Summit will take place in National Harbor, MD. Those speaking include Maj Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir, Director, Global Space Operations (J3), Headquarters United States Space Command (who is a keynote speaker), Dr. Kelly Hammett, Director, Program Executive Officer Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Col. Nathaniel Peace, USSF, Director, S4S/S2, U.S. Space Forces– Space, MAJ Robert Perez-Alemany, Space Portfolio Project Manager, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Seth Lacy, ST, Senior Scientist for Space Mobility & Precision Maneuver, Air Force Research Lab, and Iris Lan, General Counsel, NASA. For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

On 10 Mar, Govini’s annual Defense Software & Data Summit will take place at the Anthem in Washington, D.C.. According to their website, “This invite-only experience convenes senior leaders from the Department of War, government, industry, and academia to confront the Nation’s toughest security challenges and explore the transformative role of software, AI, and data in Defense Acquisition.” For more information, please visit this link.

 

On 11-12 Mar, the Tectonic Defense Summit will take place in Austin, TX. According to their website, “Welcome to the anti-conference. Where founders, investors, military leaders, and policymakers come together to reimagine the defense industry—without all the fuss.” For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

On 13 Mar starting at 1830, the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner will once again take place at the Hilton Washington, 1919 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC. For more information, please visit this link. According to the website, “Unfortunately, tickets for the 2026 Goddard Dinner are sold out at this time. If you’d like to be considered for the waitlist, please email [email protected] and share the number of tickets you’d like should space open up.”

 

On 7-9 Apr, the 5th International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Conference on Space Situational Awareness (ICSSA) will take place in Madrid, Spain. According to their website, the event will “provide decision-making processes with a quantifiable and timely body of evidence (predictive/imminent/forensic) of behavior(s) attributable to specific space domain threats and hazards. The conference will cover broad-ranging technical and policy related aspects associated with the topic of SSA.” For more information, please visit this link.

 

On 26 Apr-1 May, the 2026 Space Weather Workshop will be held in Boulder, CO. According to their website, “This event explores the wide-ranging impacts of space weather on modern technology, with a program that highlights effects on communications, navigation, spacecraft operations, human space exploration, aviation, space traffic coordination, and electric power systems.” For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

On 26-29 May, the NewSpace Nexus State of the Space Industrial Base Conference will once again take place at the Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Check out last spring’s presentations at this link. For more information and to register, please visit this link.

 

On 16 Jul, The National Security Space Association will host an unclassified Space Investors Forum “bringing together key players from national security space, entrepreneurial ventures, and the financial sector—including VCs, PEs, and bankers—to explore opportunities, challenges, and strategies for collaboration.” For more information, please visit this link.

 

On 30 Jul starting at 0700, The Potomac Officers Club will hold the 2026 Air and Space Summit. According to their website, “Top leaders from both service branches will participate in engrossing dialog with industry’s finest executives for a packed day of keynote addresses, panel conversations and non-stop networking. Sessions will explore how to bring in advanced technologies to stay ahead in the air and space domains and the strategies leaders are devising to combat new, ever-growing challenges.” For more information and to register, please visit this link.