This Secret Military Branch is Ready to be Introduced to the World

On Jan. 15, 2023, a Falcon Heavy rocket operated by SpaceX was utilized to send the USSF-67 national security mission into orbit. This mission included several payloads, three of which were developed by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. This unveiled the shadowy military branch called Space RCO. 

It was unusual for the Space RCO, headquartered at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, to say something since they usually keep their activities secret. However, Kelly Hammett, the leader of the Space RCO, noted that the choice to expose the satellites on the USSF-67 mission is part of a more expansive attempt to begin discarding the agency’s veil of secrecy.

Seven months ago, Hammett was chosen to lead the Space RCO; previously, he had headed the directed energy division of the Air Force Research Laboratory. One of his objectives for the space agency is to enhance its public presence in Washington, DC, and collaborate with a greater assortment of the space industry.

“We’re going to be a little bit more open about what we do,” he told SpaceNews in a recent interview.

The Space Force has three acquisition divisions: the office in question, the Space Development Agency, and the bigger Space Systems Command.

The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act brought about the institution of the Space RCO, which was supported in Congress by Sen. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico.

Heinrich had been critical of the Air Force’s need for more support for the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office at Kirtland Air Force Base for a long time. Established in 2007, the ORS Office managed quick-response space systems and smaller satellites. However, the Air Force decided to stop granting money to the office in 2013, choosing to fold its activities into the Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles.

For several years, Congress kept allocating funds for ORS. Heinrich eventually made an effort to form a distinct entity for rapid space acquisitions, separate and physically apart from Space and Missile Systems Center, now the Space Systems Command. This led to the formation of the Space RCO.

More: Falcon Heavy launches USSF-67 Sunday pic.twitter.com/iAYsfj2qqm

— Ben Cooper (@LaunchPhoto) January 20, 2023

At the period, Heinrich and other legislators expressed grievances that the Air Force’s procurement system needed to be more nimble to confront the challenges from other space nations that could be aiming anti-satellite arms at US systems.

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office has a much higher degree of independence than the majority of military procurement departments.

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) was modeled on the Air Force’s RCO, established in 2003. This Air Force division operated mostly in the background to drive the creation of the X-37B unmanned reusable spacecraft and the B-21 strategic bomber.

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office employs roughly 200 personnel, consisting of 80 civil servants, military officers, and additional support contractors.

Unlike its Air Force equivalent, the Space RCO has greater independence, having been granted the authority to manage its resources from Congress.

Hammett anticipated that the agency’s budget and workload would increase as the Pentagon invested additional funds in space-related initiatives to keep up with China. However, its yearly funding has yet to be made public.

Velos, an aerospace consulting firm, has estimated that the Space Force’s classified budget for RCO projects has significantly risen over the past couple of years — from $3.7 billion in 2021 to an estimated $6.5 billion in 2023.

“It’s a very dynamic environment,” Hammett said. “The demand signal is growing for space systems, services and capabilities. If you watch what happened in the budget over the last couple years, the Space Force budget is just skyrocketing because of this demand signal, and a big chunk of that demand signal is coming to us.”

Skipping the Laborous Red Tape

The Space RCO board of directors is where US Space Command can go for fulfilling an immediate requirement – sidestepping the laborious review process administered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff that standard procedures have to go through.

The board of directors for the Space RCO consists of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Space Operations, the commander of the US Space Command, and the undersecretaries of defense for research and acquisition.

The legislature gave the RCO the authority to finance undertakings from a unified appropriation line. “There is no magic formula for rapid acquisition,” Hammett said. “It is using all the tools in the toolkit.” according to Hammett. 

He noted that the ability to move funds around without waiting for congressional approval is “key,” as it permits him to transfer money from one program to another depending on performance and necessity. In addition, all of his funds come in one sum, allowing for flexibility.

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) can issue agreements of up to one billion dollars without excessive bureaucracy. Hammett states, “We don’t have to turn to the Pentagon or the service acquisition executive for authorization below that. It’s just another advantage that allows us to be agile.”

According to Hammett, these authorities enable projects to advance more rapidly than conventional programs, while the agency’s culture is also significant. Being a comparatively small organization, the number of authorizations is fewer than in a standard Department of Defense procurement program office.

Hammett remarked that these exemptions from Pentagon bureaucracy, either granted by Congress or the Defense Department, cannot be taken for granted. “If we make use of them improperly, they will be withdrawn from us.”

Work on Satellites and Information Systems

Hammett pointed out that the Space RCO minisatellites deployed during USSF-67 are not trials but somewhat functional satellites that help with military operations. Two of them are equipped with space awareness sensors, while the third has an encryption payload to ensure the security of satellite communication both ways.

Hammett highlighted that the Space Force would use the tech on these satellites, and their use would likely spread to other systems. He highlighted how impressive it is that the payloads were made and sent out in less than three years – a rapid turnaround by military standards.

Apart from the USSF-67 cargos, a few other initiatives of Space RCO have been made known to the public.

This image represents the equipment used for the Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR). This program was designed to meet a need of the US Space Command for additional control of satellites for the Satellite Control Network, supporting the US Space Force. Credit: BlueHalo

The Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR) is a project to upgrade the antiquated satellite antenna system for the military. A contract for eight years worth $1.4 billion was granted to BlueHalo by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office in 2020 to substitute the old analog antennas with the new phased arrays.

US Space Command needed to boost the capability of the Satellite Control Network to manage and direct military satellites. Hammett commented, “We have an intense amount of new payloads being sent into space, and require amplified communication from the ground.”

The Space RCO runs a ground-systems architecture to manage military satellites, called GC3, for Ground Command, Control, and Communications. Ball Aerospace and Booz Allen Hamilton have been contracted as the key players in this project.

Hammett stated that the program, initially focused on procuring ground systems for RCO satellites, has been broadened to create a shared platform that could be employed by any armed forces satellite.

The Space Systems Command administers an analogous Enterprise Ground Services (EGS) program. There are ongoing conversations “regarding integrating the ground software activities in the EGS program and our GC3 program,” said Hammett. The purpose is to “join these efforts and give a more uniform experience for the operator.”

He stated that the Space Force had seen many new systems with diverse user interfaces, and maintaining many ground-control systems was expensive. This is why the Air Force initiated the EGS program a while back. Hammett added that they are collaborating with Space Systems Command to update this system to the present age.

The RCO has collaborated with the Space Force’s Space Operations Command to acquire user feedback before procuring new systems. According to Hammett, their input is highly valued as they are responsible for training and equipping Space Force Guardians. He continued, “We’re addressing their concerns to make sure they can operate the system before it’s too late to make any modifications.”

Hammett mentioned that numerous other projects are in progress at Space RCO, which he could not elaborate on. Additionally, he indicated that more initiatives are on the way.

He mentioned they were nearly out of desks and wanted the organization to grow manageable. However, he mentioned they had been working on a building project at Kirtland Air Force Base to acquire a larger facility.

Possibilities for Non-government Partnerships

Hammett indicated that Space RCO aims to take advantage of commercial space technology. Nevertheless, the confidential nature of most of the organization’s initiatives can hinder firms that need to possess the necessary security clearances or secure facilities.

He noted that there are “up-and-coming” businesses in the field of technology that could cater to military requirements. In addition, a group of “tech scouts” continually attend industry gatherings and conferences. “They don’t always make their presence known. But they are certainly taking note of what is coming up.”

Hammett pointed out that the Space RCO tiny satellites dispatched on USSF-67 were not trials but operational satellites aiding military activities.

At confidential professional meetings, Hammett mentioned, “we converse about whatever we are able to, and we are planning to discuss more… We would like to know the aptitudes of any new entrants.”

Hammett mentioned that they are mainly focused on advancing technologies to automate the functioning of satellites and groups of satellites.

Falcon 9 launches Starlink to orbit from California, completing SpaceX’s 15th mission so far this year pic.twitter.com/bUt1lpYbct

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 3, 2023

The deployment of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation of 60 satellites at a time, equipped with automation on board, is the most exciting aspect of commercial systems today, according to him.

SpaceX can fly their satellites autonomously rather than needing to be operated by a military satellite. This technology will likely be utilized more in the future, and other companies are doing the same.

Hammett expressed his pleasure in that Frank Calvelli, the Space Force’s new space acquisition executive, is a strong proponent of swift procurement and commercial technologies.

He mentioned that he was attempting to make a significant difference. However, he continued to state that the person in question had brought much concentration and organization.

Hammett pointed out that many of the tasks performed by Space RCOs are specific to the military. Nevertheless, there are mature solutions that are commercially available, so we need to comprehend their level of maturity. This dictates how they go about our acquisition strategies.

US Space Command has a growing list of technologies to secure satellites and strengthen American systems. It is warmly welcoming efforts to speed up acquisitions, according to Lt. Gen. John Shaw, the US Space Command Deputy Commander, on Jan. 24.

At the National Security Space Association’s Defense and Intelligence Conference, he noted that the communication between the command and the Department of the Air Force’s procurement divisions has dramatically improved and is now at its best.

He explained that they frequently discuss their plans for the future and the needed capabilities and observe the other side attempting to react to them.

Shaw indicated that Calvelli is striving to increase speed, deliver expanded capacity and build robustness, precisely the requirement to fulfill their mission.

Regarding the progress of the Space Force acquisition process, Shaw noted, “Results are being achieved, and I anticipate further successes.”

What is Space RCO?

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO) is a Direct Reporting Unit of the United States Space Force. It is based at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and specializes in the expedited development, testing, and fielding of space capabilities. The Space RCO has a dynamic mix of active duty military, government civilians, FFRDCs, and contractors with excellent professional development pedigree and is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge space capabilities for the US military.

The Space RCO was established in 2020 to provide rapid access to space capabilities for the US military. This includes developing new technologies, launching satellites, and supporting other space-related missions. The Space RCO is also responsible for managing classified programs and supporting national security space operations.

The Space RCO has been involved in several high-profile projects over the past few years. In 2021, they launched their first satellite into orbit as part of a classified mission. They have also been involved in developing new technologies, such as advanced sensors and communications systems that the US military can use in space operations.

Recently, the Space RCO has been stepping out of the shadows with more public announcements about its activities. They are gearing up for the 38th Space Symposium, which will take place in April 2023, and have made several public appearances to discuss their work.

The importance of having a dedicated US military branch devoted to space operations cannot be understated. As technology advances ever-increasingly, our military must have access to cutting-edge capabilities to help them stay ahead of potential adversaries. The Space RCO provides this capability by rapidly developing new technologies and launching satellites into orbit quickly and efficiently so that our forces can remain on top of any potential threats from above or below Earth’s atmosphere.

The Space RCO is an integral part of our nation’s defense system and provides invaluable support for our nation’s security needs now and in the future. Their commitment to providing rapid access to cutting-edge space capabilities ensures that our forces remain one step ahead when protecting our nation from any potential threats from above or below Earth’s atmosphere.