The U.S. Space Force has moved its Enhanced Polar System–Recapitalization program into operational status, extending secure communications for U.S. and allied forces operating in the Arctic into the mid-2030s.

Save your spot at the 2026 Air and Space Summit, hosted by the Potomac Officers Club, to hear government and industry stakeholders discuss developments affecting the air and space mission areas. Scheduled for July 30, the event will feature keynote speakers and panel sessions examining service priorities, emerging technologies and collaboration between the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force and the private sector.

What Capabilities Does EPS-R Provide?

EPS-R supports command and control for deployed forces and connectivity for special operations units, combatant commands, and joint operations across land, sea and air domains, Space Systems Command said Wednesday. The system enables the secure transmission of voice, data and multimedia communications, providing increased bandwidth and coverage for operations in the northern polar region compared to the initial EPS payloads.

EPS-R is intended to prevent a gap in Arctic communications as the Space Force transitions to next-generation military satellite communications platforms — the polar variants of the Evolved Strategic SATCOM architecture.

What Infrastructure Supports EPS-R?

The system consists of two extremely high-frequency payloads hosted on Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission satellites, which launched in 2024 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

It is operated by Space Force units responsible for satellite communications and supported by a Northrop Grumman-led ground segment that manages both legacy and recapitalized systems through a common software baseline.

Gen. Michael Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome initiative, said the Department of War has increased the program’s cost estimate by $10 billion to $185 billion to speed up the development of space-based capabilities designed to defend the homeland from aerial threats, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

The discussion around Golden Dome’s expanding scope and space-based priorities comes as defense leaders prepare to convene at a key industry forum this summer. The 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30 will bring together government and industry experts to explore emerging capabilities and strategic initiatives shaping the future of air and space defense. Save your spot now!

“We were asked to procure some additional space capabilities, so we are at $185 billion for the objective architecture,” Guetlein, a 2026 Wash100 awardee, said Tuesday at the McAleese Defense Programs conference.

What Are the Other Space Capabilities Being Pursued by DOW?

The Pentagon is advancing several key space-related systems as part of the Golden Dome effort, with a focus on accelerating development timelines. These include the Airborne Moving Target Indication capability, the Space Data Network and the Hypersonic Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor.

Guetlein said accelerating the development of space-based interceptors remains a challenge, noting that the issue is not the technology itself but the ability to scale it affordably.

What Is Golden Dome?

Golden Dome is a homeland defense initiative focused on building a multi-layered system to counter hypersonic, ballistic and cruise threats through advanced sensors, data networks, space capabilities and interceptors.

A U.S. government slide presentation released in August 2025 revealed that the next-generation missile defense shield will have four layers: one will be a space-based sensing and targeting layer to serve as a missile warning and tracking system, while the other three will feature ground-based radar arrays, lasers and missile interceptors.

In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to build the Golden Dome for America, which had an initial cost estimate of $175 billion.

In May 2025, Trump selected Guetlein, then vice chief of space operations, to lead the Golden Dome project.

How Does the MDA SHIELD Vehicle Support Golden Dome?

The Missile Defense Agency has awarded companies positions on the potential 10-year, $151 billion Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense, or SHIELD, contract vehicle through several tranches. In January, 340 companies won spots on the vehicle, expanding the competitive pool to more than 2,400 awardees. 

SHIELD is designed to support a broad range of activities tied to layered homeland defense, including research and development, systems engineering, experimentation, prototyping, modernization and sustainment, with task orders incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled applications.

The U.S. Space Force has announced six mission areas to be overseen by portfolio acquisition executives, or PAEs. The service said Tuesday that all PAEs will report to the secretary of the Air Force through the space service acquisition executive.

Gain insights into acquisition reforms across the Space Force at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. Space Force leaders will be present at the event to discuss evolving acquisition requirements and share opportunities for industry to collaborate with the military. Get your tickets today.

What Mission Areas Will the New PAEs Oversee?

The newly designated portfolios are:

• 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
• Space Access

Each PAE will be responsible for delivering capabilities within a defined mission area, according to the Space Force. For instance, PAE Infrastructure will focus on delivering data management, training and personnel systems, while the PAE BMC3I will provide data, networks, command and control, and space domain awareness.

“To win in the long run we must innovate faster than our adversaries,” stated Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, a 2026 Wash100 Award winner. “These next six PAEs will allow us to do just that by capitalizing on the right talent, giving them the resources they need and empowering them to deliver mission effective capability to the warfighter faster.”

Tom Ainsworth, who is performing the duties of the Air Force assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, mentioned three other PAE mission areas that the Space Force has yet to announce. The three PAEs will cover Space Control; Electronic Warfare, Cyber Warfare and Orbital Warfare; and Integration, Breaking Defense reported.

Why Is the Space Force Transitioning to Portfolio Acquisition Executives?

Space Force’s new PAEs align with the Department of the War’s acquisition overhaul to accelerate decision-making and capability delivery. The shift to PAEs reflects the Department of the Air Force’s effort to streamline acquisition and accelerate the delivery of capabilities to warfighters. By moving away from the program executive officer model, the department aims to align authority with responsibility and enable faster decision-making across integrated mission portfolios.

The Air Force previously announced five PEOs overseeing Fighters and Advanced Aircraft; Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management; Nuclear Command, Control and Communications; Weapons; and Propulsion.