Fast on the heels of Lisa Costa (Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the US Space Force) taking the time to joining us at OODAcon 2023, for a discussion of The New Space Rush, following are some space operations and innovation initiatives of which Space Force is taking a lead. 

Space Force to create new digital modeling strategy

“You would think with the use of digital twins by…different industries that there would be commercial standards…but there’s not.”

Although it is still in draft form, the Federal News Network recently reported on The Space Force efforts to formulate a digital modeling strategy:

The Space Force is working on a new digital modeling strategy, the latest effort by the service to improve how it uses technology and work towards becoming more digital.  The Space Force is leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to help its Guardians work smarter and more efficiently. This upcoming digital modeling strategy is one piece of the service’s efforts to improve how it uses technology. Lisa Costa, the Space Force’s chief technology and innovation officer, said that the Space Force is working with others to develop standards and is also working on standards for digital twins.

“You would think with the use of digital twins by very large sectors of different industries that there would be commercial standards out there, but there’s not,” Costa said on Wednesday at an event at The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “They’re very bespoke, so we’re working toward at least an open standard where we can start to move models from concept. For example, from the Space Warfighter Analysis Center (SWAC), which does mission design, moving that over to our acquisition elements that do costing and analyses of alternatives and then moving that into our operational environment.”  This would help get feedback which could then be tweaked and put into the pipeline for training and testing.

The Space Force sees itself as the first digital service. To accomplish this vision, several things need to happen. Costa said the service is working on removing the tech debt it inherited from the Air Force and other military services and on modernizing its capabilities. She said that it is hard to build advanced technology like AI modeling or digital twins with old architecture. As a result, the foundation must be fixed, Guardians should be upskilled and the Space Force should utilize its Supra Coders, according to Costa.  “Supra Coders are critically important to the Space Force,” Costa said. “They are not just coders; I can buy coders. They are Guardians first, they have been trained usually in at least one operational area and they’re an expert in the operational area, but many of them have been cross trained in a number of different operational areas.”

For the complete report on Space Force’s go to this link.  

Space Force, partners to craft global supply chain strategy

“…while the country’s space sector has grown significantly…there hasn’t been enough investment in building up its supply base.”

“U.S. Space Force officials [met in October] with industry leaders and key international partners to discuss a strategy for supply chain resiliency.

The discussions were led by the service’s acquisition arm, Space Systems Command (SSC), and [included] representatives from the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Japan. The event, dubbed a reverse industry day, [gave] partners as well as space executives a chance to share their perspectives on supply chain challenges and opportunities, according to a command spokesman.

The international industry day [was held] Oct. 25 and 26 in Chantilly, Va., and [was] the first of its kind for SSC, according to Deanna Ryals, director of international affairs for the command.  The premise of reverse industry days is that rather than brief stakeholders after a requirement has been set, Space Systems Command wants to gather feedback prior to developing those plans. SSC has been convening with space firms and other partners in this format since early last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted concerns about vulnerabilities within the global supply chain, including for space technology. A 2022 report on the state of the space industrial base, crafted by U.S. Defense Department leaders, found that while the country’s space sector has grown significantly in recent years, there hasn’t been enough investment in building up its supply base.”

National Security Space Association: National Security Space Week

Space System Command’s International Reverse Industry Days

“Space Systems Command has been hosting several “Reverse Industry Days” on multiple subjects to get industry help in shaping the thinking about space acquisition challenges.  This one [focused] on Resilience of the Global Supply Chain for Space – Developing an Allied Approach. Allies and their respective industry partners from seven nations (AUS, CAN, DEU, FRA, GBR, JPN, NZL) along with the U.S., [shared] perspectives on the international supply chain as a problem set and will have the opportunity to offer insights and solutions. Four Moderated Panels [examined] the global supply chain from different perspectives. The final session [was] an SSC-guided discussion on how to move forward with key themes from the event and pathway to develop an Allied Space Supply Chain Strategy.”

Additional OODA Loop Resources

Commercial Space: Innovation, Regulation, and International Collaboration:   The upcoming OODAcon 2023 panel – “The Space Edge – Defining New Opportunities, Economies, and Risks” – will dig deep into the emerging opportunities, economies, and risks associated with the rapid development of space-based technologies, resource acquisition, and shift from the public to private sector.  After decades of stagnation, space innovation keeps pushing the boundaries of the possible with new firsts emerging on a monthly basis. Following is a compilation of OODA Loop original analysis and resources on the revolution evolution of the Commercial Space industry sector.

The Future of Space: National Security, Cybersecurity, and AI/ML: Exploring the new national security and economic realities of The New Space Rush will be the closing keynote discussion with Lisa Costa, the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the US Space Force at OODAcon 2023.  Following is a compilation of recent OODA Analysis of the future of space, national security, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and machines learning – the implications of which OODA CTO Bob Gourley will be discussing with Costa next week.

Space Exploration Milestones of Note in 2023:  A compilation of the space exploration milestones featured here at OODA Loop in 2023.

For additional OODA Loops News Briefs and Original Analysis on Space Exploration, go to OODA Loop | Space

The Executive’s Guide to Space

The rapid pace of innovation in space is producing real capabilities which can be leveraged for businesses in every sector of the economy. There is a growing excitement over the many developments in the space industry, giving rise to many questions about how these developments will impact markets overall. This guide is meant to assist strategic planners in assessing developments in the space sector. For more see:  The Executive’s Guide To Commercial Use of Space

Security In Space and Security of Space

The last decade has seen an incredible increase in the commercial use of space. Businesses and individual consumers now leverage space solutions that are so integrated into our systems that they seem invisible. Some of these services include: Communications, including very high-speed low latency communications to distant and mobile users. Learn more at: OODA Research Report: What Business Needs To Know About Security In Space Also see: Is Space Critical Infrastructure, and the special report on Cyber Threats to Project Artemis, and Mitigating Threats To Commercial Space Satellites.