The Space Development Agency is preparing for a future in which Congress may no longer want it.
Draft provisions in the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would repeal the laws that created the agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, allowing elements of both to be folded into the Space Force’s acquisition structure. That would hand the agency’s work to the new portfolio acquisition executives.
Director Gurpartap Sandhoo told reporters at the Air, Space and Cyber conference that he has concerns but takes comfort in the agency’s unusual authorities, including special hiring, original classification and contracting power. Those let the agency decide and move without asking permission elsewhere, and he said keeping them would reduce a reorganization to a name change.
Losing them would create problems the agency would have to navigate. He added that the outcome is largely outside its control and that its focus stays on delivering capability.
The Department of the Air Force has been meeting with the agency and the Space Force on what a revamp or realignment would look like.
Since 2019 the agency has been charged with fielding a mega-constellation in low Earth orbit known as the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, built in tranches of data transport, missile warning and missile tracking satellites.
