The Hoover Institution National Security Task Force hosted a round table discussion with the Honorable Barbara Barrett, Secretary of the Air Force; General John “Jay” Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, US Space Force & Commander, US Space Command; and Stephen Kitay, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy.
The whole of government approach towards national security employed by this National Security Task Force comes to a head in the space realm. U.S. national security and its economy both rely on unimpeded access to, capabilities in, and travel through space; interactions between space and national security are as old as the space race itself. Now a $415 billion commercial and national security enterprise globally, technology change in space has in some ways has outpaced national policy frameworks. Roundtable participants discussed challenges and opportunities with Pentagon space leaders as they establish foundational national space policy for the modern era and a new service branch workforce and culture. Topics included the role commercial and allied partners in this endeavor, rules of engagement in the national security space realm, and emerging concepts of cross-domain deterrence.