The Government Accountability Office issued a report Thursday stating that the Department of Defense does not conduct a routine monitoring of its space acquisition workforce.
The Pentagon needs to collect comprehensive data on the size, mix and location of its workforce that will handle the planned $65B procurement of space offerings such as satellites, launch vehicles and ground control facilities through 2023, according to the report.
The government watchdog added that properly collecting data about the space acquisition workforce would ensure that appropriate personnel will be assigned to the new Space Development Agency and Space
However, the department does not have a complete list of space acquisition programs and lacks data systems that can identify space acquisition personnel. Employees working on space procurement are scattered across units with some personnel supporting space and non-space initiatives, according to the report.
The watchdog reported that at least 8K space acquisition personnel, including military and civilian staff, work in various U.S. locations at the end of 2017.
