An analysis by The Aerospace Corp.’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy shows that the Biden administration sought a budget of $24.7 billion for the U.S. Space Force for fiscal year 2023, up 36 percent or $6.5 billion from the enacted funding for FY 2022.
The budget request for the upcoming fiscal year highlights the consolidation of defense space activity within the Space Force and growth in missile warning and tracking programs, according to the report.
The center said the transfer of military personnel to the Space Force and the integration of the Space Development Agency with the new service branch represent approximately 53 percent of the requested budget increase for the Space Force.
According to the analysis, the Space Warfighting Analysis Center established by the Space Force in 2021 recommended the development of a constellation of 136 satellites in low-Earth orbit and 16 spacecraft in medium-Earth orbit for missile warning and tracking operations to help the service prepare for advanced missile threats and defend the architecture from such threats.
“Over the next few years, MW/MT programs, given their size and the number of stakeholders reliant on them, will weigh heavily in debates about the future of U.S. space systems. The MW/MT approach may also be a harbinger for broader emphasis within the Pentagon to develop resilient and defendable architectures for other critical space missions,” the report’s conclusion reads.
