All indications are that we are entering a new age of exploration and human expansion into space.  Explore the new national security and economic realities of this new space rush in this OODAcon 2023 Closing Keynote conversation between OODA CTO Bob Gourley and the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the US Space Force, Lisa Costa.  

Summary of the Panel Discussion

“The goal is to leverage advancements in technology, replicate successful models from the private sector, and drive collaboration between different disciplines to shape the future of space science and technology.”  

Minimizing brick and mortar – “Software as Everything”: The US Space Force is attempting to minimize brick and mortar by adopting a “Software as Everything” approach by creating multidisciplinary “Space Guardians” who are trained in their mission areas and then taught to be coders (referred to as “super coders”).  These efforts reflect their goal of reducing physical infrastructure and embracing technology-driven solutions.  

Man, Train, Equip:  The Space Force is also emphasizing the importance of digital literacy,  making 30,000 classes available to Gaurdians while in training – and as ongoing professional development resources:  “Every Guardian must be Digitally Competent.” 

The Space Force is implementing Science and Technology Space Futures through various strategies:  The objective is to fuse communications between the Space Force futures practice, Science, and Engineering – implementing top ideas through a best case/worst case scenario approach.   

“…the Space Systems Command plays a crucial role in advancing space technology and defending against future cyber challenges.” 

Simply put – “Space is Hard”:

” Extreme Engineering” and differentiating between science and technology:  Science versus technology challenges are different but are often conflated.  

Startups and Private Sector Innovation: Commercial industry provides many different models Space Force is looking to replicate.  USSP S5P Partnerships Program is responsible for strategic partnerships and industry engagement. Costa has a direct responsibility to the science and technology “piece” of S5P.  There are also three acquisition arms within Space Force as well.  Startups and the private sector can contribute to space innovation and solve extreme engineering challenges.  The fast-paced advancements in disruptive technologies, such as biotech, AI, quantum tech, and robotics, are pivotal for government missions and economic resilience during global unrest.  Space Force considers the private sector contribution to these advancements vital to the overall success of the USSF mission. 

The Space Systems Command is a branch of the US Space Force:  It is responsible for cybersecurity innovation.  The command focuses on protecting the Guardians of the Space Force and collaborating with the private sector.  It also emphasizes the need for science investment from the DoD and the transfer of intellectual property to the private sector. Additionally, it highlights the importance of space situational awareness for military and defense missions.  The command has established Mission Defense Teams and has integrated all service satellite communications into the Space Force. Cyberspace has been a benign environment; however that will change.  Mission Defense Teams can be deployed at short notice.  Last year, all service satellite communications were moved to the Space Force.  Overall, the Space Systems Command plays a crucial role in advancing space technology and defending against future cyber challenges. 

“I put in place a stop use order for 30 days on large language models.  My job is not to be popular, but to protect  The Guardians of the Space Force.” 

Biotechnology in the context of space exploration and national security:  The Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the Space Force Lisa Costa emphasized the exponential advancements in disruptive technologies such as biotech. She pointed to the future of training, new human performance challenges and biometrics in a case study for the “Gaurdians of the Future”:  “How do we train for the secondary and tertiary impact of moving 300 satellites at the same time?  We are looking at innovation in neuroscience, gaming and gamification for example.  You are 25x more likely to see an anomaly if you are a gamer, for example. Biotech will play a role in all of this innovation and, of course, the effects on health in space will be met with biotech solutions. USSF is also looking for “waveform on demand” solutions   The focus is on cost reduction, automation, and the development of new technologies like biomanufacturing in space.  The future of modelling and simulation is also a particular area of focus for Costa:  “Gaming engines ingest all the data so the Guardians can make sense of it. They can also be used for training, modeling, and simulation.”

Space Force and Quantum Computing?:  Costa replied:  “All of it.”  Space Force aims to leverage quantum computing and explore its potential applications in areas like communication, cybersecurity, and edge computing. 

Large Language Model (LLM) Deployment Internally at Space Force: Costa was prescriptive and specific in her response to the question of the current policyon LLM use with the USSF:  “A word of caution: we have a different workforce today – a very generationally different workforce.  I put in place a stop use order for 30 days on large language models.  My job is not to be popular, but to protect  The Guardians of the Space Force.”  

The Space Force does not work with venture capitalists (VCs) in any formal way:  The Department of Defense (DoD) is also not trying to do the VC work for them.  However, there is potential for collaboration and learning from VCs as they have access to “dry powder money” and are fast adopters.  The Space Force aims to invest in science and technology, with the intention of transferring intellectual property (IP) to the private sector. Overall, while there is no formal partnership, the Space Force recognizes the value of VCs in innovation and technology advancement and case by case partnerships are considered. 

“As adversaries become smarter, due diligence is crucial – with a specific focus on the adaptability of adversaries who may support start-ups backed by rival countries, posing a national threat.”

What can practitioners do to help the Space Force mission?:  Practitioners can contribute to the Space Force mission by protecting intellectual property.  As adversaries become smarter, due diligence is crucial – with a specific focus on the adaptability of adversaries who may support start-ups backed by rival countries, posing a national threat. Practitioners can also help by engaging the Open Space Science Technology Institutes.  

Open Space Science Technology Institutes:  Open space science technology institutes are institutions that focus on advancing scientific and technological knowledge related to space exploration and research. These institutes aim to foster partnerships and collaborations with the commercial industry, promote innovation in areas such as cybersecurity, biotech, and quantum computing, and train individuals to address the challenges of space technology.  They also emphasize the importance of protecting intellectual property.  The US Space Force is actively involved in supporting these institutes and encourages science investment to come from the Department of Defense.  The goal is to leverage advancements in technology, replicate successful models from the private sector, and drive collaboration between different disciplines to shape the future of space science and technology.  

For the program notes for this session, see  The New Space Rush The Final Frontier for the Economy and National Security

The full agenda for OODacon 2023 can be found here – Welcome to OODAcon 2023: Final Agenda and Event Details – including a a full description of each session, expanded speakers bios (with links to current projects and articles about the speakers) and additional OODA Loop resources on the theme of each panel.

OODAcon 2023: Event Summary and Imperatives For Action

Download a summary of OODAcon including useful observations to inform your strategic planning, product roadmap and drive informed customer conversations.  This summary, based on the dialog during and after the event, also invites your continued input on these many dynamic trends.  See:  OODAcon 2023: Event Summary and Imperatives For Action.