Victoria Coleman, the former chief scientist of the U.S. Air Force, warned that the United States risks losing its technological edge in space if it fails to operationalize and disrupt emerging space technologies at a faster pace.
In a wide-ranging interview on the SpaceNews “Space Minds” podcast, Coleman — who now serves as associate provost of the Berkeley Air and Space Center at the University of California, Berkeley — discussed the convergence of disparate scientific fields that make space such a strategically critical domain.
The convergence challenge
Coleman described space as the ultimate convergence of computing, artificial intelligence, physics and materials science, combined with humanity’s inherent curiosity about exploration. But she emphasized that scientific progress alone is not enough — the US must prioritize “operationalizing and disrupting new space technologies” to maintain what she called “asymmetry in military technologies.”
The term “asymmetry” is central to Coleman’s thinking. In military parlance, asymmetric advantages are capabilities that an adversary cannot easily match or counter. For space, that could mean anything from advanced on-orbit processing to resilient satellite constellations that can withstand attack.
Tech transition lag
Coleman’s concerns echo a growing sentiment across the defense space community: that the gap between laboratory breakthroughs and operational capabilities remains too wide. While commercial space innovation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, translating those advances into military systems still takes years, sometimes decades.
Berkeley Air and Space Center, where Coleman now works, is positioning itself as a hub for bridging that gap. The center brings together researchers from across disciplines to work on space-related challenges, from propulsion to in-space computing to space domain awareness.
Coleman’s career spans both government and academia. As Air Force chief scientist, she advised senior leaders on science and technology strategy. Her perspective now from Berkeley gives her a unique vantage point on the friction points between academic research, commercial development, and military requirements.
The interview arrives at a time when Pentagon leadership is increasingly vocal about the need to accelerate space acquisition timelines. The Space Force’s recent procurement reorganization, creating nine mission-focused portfolios, is one response to the concern Coleman raised. Whether it will be enough to close the gap remains an open question.
