As space becomes an increasingly contested domain, government agencies turn to commercial technology to maintain their competitive edge.
Government space technology is following a new North Star compared to just a few years ago. Instead of building everything in-house, civilian and defense agencies are turning to commercial companies for faster and more cost-effective access to cutting-edge technologies. Agencies from the relatively young Space Force to longtime innovator NASA are gravitating toward high-performance computing, advanced data services, and cybersecurity solutions that can protect sensitive research and intelligence.
Space Isn’t Just About Exploration Anymore
NASA continues to prioritize scientific research and discovery, focusing much of its efforts on returning to the Moon and preparing for Mars exploration. The agency is expanding its network of commercial and international partners to find mission-oriented solutions, such as communications and navigation, secure command and control, and autonomous systems and robotics that keep human astronauts safe in potentially dangerous unknown conditions.
But space has become a contested environment. While we embrace international partnerships for many missions, we also must be vigilant of growing global tensions. NASA, Space Force, and other agencies must find ways to protect space assets and recover them if something goes wrong — and track what other countries are doing. They expect partners to maintain resilient supply chains and aim to foster markets where a number of providers can meet their needs.
How Agencies Are Working With Commercial Partners
Many of NASA’s commercial partners for space and satellite launches are household names, and that commercial-first approach has spread across government. Agencies now seek deeper partnerships with industry, integrating them more into planning, development, and operations.
This shift includes the Space Force, which in a sharp departure from the military’s preferred build model, aims to “exploit what we have, buy what we can, and build what we have to,” according to a recent strategy document. Rather than military-developed equipment, Space Force plans to adopt hybrid architectures that combine government, commercial, and allied capabilities.
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency expects the amount of geospatial data to triple over the next decade. To handle the volume, planners see commercial solutions in high-performance computing, advanced analytics, and computer vision as ways to make analysts more productive in their intelligence mission.
The Space Wishlist
Gone are the days when space agencies would spend years building everything from scratch. As agencies take this more practical approach, they also look for technological accelerants in a few key areas.
Defense organizations, for example, are hungry to diversify their space data sources by tapping into commercial satellite companies that can deliver analyzed, ready-to-use data in real time. At this year’s GEOINT symposium, Space Force, NGA, and the National Reconnaissance Office announced they’re dividing up responsibilities around commercial imagery. They mapped out who buys what imagery and how they’ll share it — a commonsense move that gets crucial intelligence to military units faster.
Our reliance on GPS is also a top concern. Anyone who’s had their phone navigation glitch out knows how frustrating GPS problems can be. However, for military operations and critical infrastructure, GPS disruption puts our national security at risk. That’s why agencies are racing to develop alternative positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems that can keep working even if GPS goes down.
The command and control side of space operations is getting a sci-fi upgrade, with groups experimenting with virtual reality command centers. Imagine being able to run space operations from anywhere but feeling like you’re sitting in mission control — that’s where the technology is headed.
Artificial intelligence is transforming everything it touches in the space sector. Nearly every space technology company is finding ways to make their systems smarter and more self-sufficient. This ranges from teaching satellites to analyze their own data to creating control systems that can make decisions on the fly.
The most significant change is how quickly new capabilities can be deployed. Rather than waiting years for custom government systems, agencies can tap into commercial technology that is already proven and working.
Space technology isn’t about going it alone anymore. Success comes from mixing commercial products, cutting-edge tech like AI and virtual reality (VR), and the flexibility to adapt as needs change. This new approach is opening doors for government agencies and their commercial partners, making space operations more capable.
For information about Carahsoft’s space tech and geospatial offerings, register for GEOINTeraction Tuesday or visit the Carahsoft team at Satellite 2025.
Lacey Wean is Senior Director for Geospatial, Space Tech, Autonomy and Robotics, at Carahsoft.
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