- The Space Force has committed more than $500 million through OTAs
- Task orders will accelerate technology prototyping and fielding
- The 2026 Air & Space Summit will explore commercial space relay, Golden Dome and more
The U.S. Space Force plans to award six additional other transaction authority agreements in July after issuing seven OTA awards in May and June, bringing the total value of the commercial technology awards to more than $500 million in support of the space combat power portfolio.
Government and industry leaders will discuss the technologies shaping future military space operations at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air & Space Summit on July 30. The event will feature conversations on artificial intelligence and machine learning, commercial space relay, interoperable optical networks, Golden Dome and other priorities affecting the space domain. Reserve your seat now!
The Space Force said Wednesday the awards follow the establishment of portfolio acquisition executives, or PAEs, which have expanded authority to make technology investments aligned with operational mission needs.
“This kind of award illustrates how a ‘tech pull’ strategy enables Space Force capabilities keep pace with the threat,” said Col. Bryon McClain, acting PAE for space combat power.
How Will the Acquisition Effort Support National Security?
According to the Space Force, the acquisition effort seeks to bring advanced commercial technologies into the national security space architecture at a faster pace while reinforcing the domestic space industrial base. The Space Force is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Missile Defense Agency and NASA on the effort.
The selected companies will compete for task orders to prototype, test and deploy technologies that support joint warfighting operations worldwide.
What Is Space Combat Power?
Space Combat Power is a program office that oversees the development, delivery and sustainment of ground-, cyber- and space-based combat power capabilities designed to contest and control the space domain through fires, movement and maneuver while ensuring U.S., allied and commercial freedom of action in, from and to space.
What Are the Space Force’s Portfolio Acquisition Executives?
In March, the Space Force announced the second tranche of six mission areas to be overseen by PAEs: infrastructure; battle management, command, control, communication and space intelligence; satellite communication and positioning, navigation and timing; missile warning and tracking; space-based sensing and targeting; and space access.
The announcement followed the Department of the Air Force’s January designation of the first five PAEs overseeing fighters and advanced aircraft; command, control, communications and battle management; nuclear command, control and communications; weapons; and propulsion. The Space Force’s transition to PAEs aligns with the Department of War’s acquisition overhaul to streamline acquisition, align authority with responsibility and accelerate decision-making and capability delivery across integrated mission portfolios.
