Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Operations Command, highlighted the importance of advancing space technology and noted the space domain’s critical role in national security during a National Defense University Foundation briefing.
“Our national defense is dependent on space as well, in fact, our entire joint force is sized with the assumption that space will be available through all levels of conflict,” Whiting said.
The official also discussed the significance of partnerships between SpOC and the commercial industry to expand space capabilities for government applications.
Whiting also addressed concerns that space is becoming increasingly congested during his presentation. He said the number of trackable debris on orbit jumped 90 percent in the last three years partly due to launch of satellites forming mega constellations.
In December 2022, SpOC formally activated the Space Acquisition and Integration Office at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado to oversee the procurement and integration of new technologies and capabilities into space operations.