When the world's at stake,
go beyond the headlines.

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it.***This month, the Department of Defense and the U.S. Space Force released strategies aimed at integrating commercial space capabilities into military space architecture. Commercial space capabilities have regularly demonstrated military utility in Ukraine’s effort to hold back Russia’s invasion for the past two years. Militaries around the world are moving to capitalize on such capabilities. We asked four experts to tell us more about the strategies and their implications for the future of space.Read more below.Makena Young Fellow, Aerospace Security Project Center for Strategic and International StudiesAs seen on the battlefield in Ukraine, commercial space companies are providing space services at a speed and scale that push innovation, provide resilience, and open new avenues for allied cooperation in space. U.S. military leaders recognize the need to ensure cutting-edge commercial technologies are fused into the Department of Defense toolkit, not left on the table when in crisis. The department’s recently released Commercial Space Integration Strategy and the U.S. Space Force’s Commercial Space Strategy establish clear intent to integrate commercial space services into national security mission areas. The complementary strategies outline a long-awaited mindset shift in the Department of Defense to accept risk, acquire emerging commercial capabilities, and support the commercial space economy. While an important first step, the success of the strategies will be found in the pace of operationalization, the resources that follow, and the training of military personnel on how to utilize those capabilities.Steven R. E. Jordan Tomaszewski Senior Director, National Security Space Aerospace Industries AssociationIndustry and government must collaborate closely in the space domain to maintain our technological advantage and