Symposium Sessions
Air Force, Space Force Chiefs Say Acquisition Speed Now Must Shift to Production Speed
Written by: Tom Roeder
Highlights from the 41st Space Symposium’s Featured Speaker: Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant at the Broadmoor’s International Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2026. (Liz Copan/The Space Foundation) Space Force acquisition is on a wartime footing, with cash already flowing to encourage companies to deliver capability at mass-production scale, Space Systems Command’s Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant told an audience at the 41st Space Symposium on Wednesday.
Speedy simplicity in satellite design is the priority over the complex perfection once sought by the Pentagon, said Garrant, whose California-based command has a budget of $15.6 billion. “We no longer have the luxury of time,” he said. “Acquisition is on a wartime footing … this isn’t business as usual; it is a real pivot.”
No part of the military space enterprise has seen changes as widespread as those ordered at Space Systems Command, which reorganized its workforce and pushed decision-making down to offices focused on capabilities rather than satellite-specific programs. The command is also scouring commercial capabilities to buy services rather than build its own new constellations.
Rival Space Nations Help Speed U.S. Change
The changes are driven by rival nations that have improved their military space programs and place American satellites at risk if warfare reaches orbit, Garrant said.
“It’s not enough that we deliver the world’s greatest systems, we need to deliver them faster,” Garrant said.
Speeding up space programs requires a major industrial shift, and Garrant is asking firms to expand production lines. “If your current capacity is 10 satellites, we want capacity for 40 satellites,” he said.
Purdy: Air Force Has Mastered Rapid Delivery
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, the top space acquisition adviser to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, said contractors have stepped up to the challenge, showing increased willingness to invest in riskier programs that could be lucrative if successful. One such program: The Pentagon plans to gather more data beyond Earth orbit, extending intelligence capabilities to cislunar space, Purdy said.
The acceleration of Space Force programs has been fueled by Wall Street cash. “What’s amazing is the billions of dollars we are leveraging from the venture capital and private equity community,” Purdy said.
While cautious to declare victory in the war over bureaucracy, Purdy said the Space Force has turned the page on old acquisition methods.
“We have mastered the art of delivering rapidly,” Purdy said. “We are operational.”
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