FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Hearing on Military Space Operations and Policy

Original title: MILITARY SPACE OPERATIONS, POLICY, AND PROGRAMS

January 1, 2021

military space operations national security defense budget space force military acquisition

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing informs the development of the fiscal year 2020 , which dictates funding levels and organizational structures for U.S. military space operations.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Defense

The Department is subject to the authorization and funding decisions made by the Subcommittee based on this testimony.

Air Force Space Command

Personnel and leadership from this command provided testimony regarding their current operations and acquisition programs.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2021.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing to discuss national security space programs, the evolving nature of space as a , and the Department of Defense's budget priorities for fiscal year 2020. The session featured testimony from Department of Defense officials and the Government Accountability Office regarding military space strategy and acquisition.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on March 27, 2019, in the Russell Senate Office Building.
The Subcommittee is reviewing the national security space enterprise to inform the fiscal year 2020 defense authorization bill.
The Department of Defense is shifting its strategic approach to treat space as a warfighting domain.
A separate full committee hearing regarding the proposal to establish a Space Force was scheduled for April 11, 2019.
The hearing included testimony from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security, two Air Force Generals, and a GAO Director.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

To gather testimony on military space operations, policies, and programs to help the Subcommittee draft the fiscal year 2020 .

Was the creation of a Space Force discussed at this meeting?

The Subcommittee noted that a separate hearing dedicated to the Space Force proposal was scheduled for April 11, 2019, and focused this session on other space portfolio equities.

Why It Matters

This hearing informs the development of the fiscal year 2020 , which dictates funding levels and organizational structures for U.S. military space operations.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Space as a Warfighting Domain

The transcript highlights a formal shift in U.S. military doctrine to explicitly categorize space as a warfighting domain rather than just a support environment.

Subcommittee on Strategic Forces

Connected Entities

personDavid D. Thompson“General, USAF, Vice Commander of Air Force Space Command”Map →

personCristina T. Chaplain“Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management at the GAO”Map →

personMartin Heinrich“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces”Map →

personJohn F. Thompson“Lieutenant General, USAF, Commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center”Map →

personDeb Fischer“Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces”Map →

organizationSubcommittee on Strategic Forces“Senate committee conducting the hearing”Map →

personKenneth P. Rapuano“Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Provided testimony on military space programs”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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