The Pentagon has not figured out how to organize its growing purchases of commercial space data, and the confusion is pushing some Space Force officials to avoid the marketplace, a new audit finds.
The audit, published Aug. 27, tracked $123.9M in purchases across Space Force organizations through the Global Data Marketplace between January 2023 and September 2025. Most of that buying, $76.8M or 62%, flowed through the Joint Commercial Operations Cell, while System Delta 810 spent $35.6M on tactical surveillance support.
The purchases covered satellite tracking, GPS interference detection and commercial imagery. GAO cited a December 2024 case in which commercial analysis helped US Southern Command identify suspected drug-trafficking airstrips in Ecuador and track Chinese aircraft carrier movements.
Despite those wins, the report said licensing costs, uncertainty about data rights and limited visibility into other agencies’ purchases have made some officials hesitant to buy. GAO also found Space Force officials were not part of the working group that coordinates government purchases on the platform.
GAO recommended Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, a former National Reconnaissance Office deputy, improve communication about the buying group. The Defense Department concurred with the findings. As adversary counterspace capabilities grow, the report said, the military needs commercial data to fill blind spots without risking its own space assets.
