The U.S. Space Force plans to establish a Cislunar Coordination Office, an acquisition task force that will coordinate technology development and planning for cislunar operations, Breaking Defense reported Monday.
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What Is the Purpose of the Cislunar Coordination Office?
The new office will focus on organizing efforts across government agencies involved in cislunar activities. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, senior adviser for space acquisition, said the office will gather program managers and engineers to develop road maps for acquiring capabilities and setting timelines tied to future missions. The initiative stems from a December executive order calling for initial elements of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030. Jamie Stearns, space control mission lead at the AFRL Space Vehicle Directorate, is tasked to lead the new group.
How Will the Space Force Support Lunar Operations?
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, a four-time Wash100 Award winner, said the service will ensure safety, security and sustainability for U.S. interests in cislunar space. He noted that the requirements for space domain awareness and communications systems differ from those of traditional orbital missions and require specialized tools and continuous connectivity. In addition, Saltzman said sustaining a lunar presence will place demands on launch infrastructure and coordination with agencies such as NASA.
What Related Efforts Are Underway?
AFRL is preparing to launch its Oracle Prime satellite, an experimental platform designed to monitor objects in cislunar space. The satellite will operate near a Lagrange point between Earth and the Moon and conduct surveillance of nearby objects using onboard sensors.
