The U.S. Space Force has designated Space Training and Readiness Command, also known as STARCOM, as the service branch’s lead agency for testing and evaluating space systems and programs.
Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, has signed a memorandum assigning STARCOM as the independent operational test agency for space programs to oversee the Space Force’s overall test and evaluation activities for space systems, techniques and capabilities, the command said Friday.
“By bringing OTA under STARCOM’s responsibility, we are not just streamlining processes but also equipping our space forces with credible, combat-ready capabilities at unparalleled speed,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy Sejba, commander of STARCOM.
Col. Sacha Tomlinson, deputy operational test authority — a.k.a. OTA — at STARCOM, said the designation validates the command’s capabilities to prepare and deliver warfighting technologies.
“We leverage lessons learned and best practices from our sister service OTAs with a focus on our service’s priorities and revolutionary developments like Zero Trust and Artificial Intelligence,” Tomlinson said.
The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center has been the OTA for space operations since December 2019.
Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Space Summit on March 5 to learn how new technologies, commercial investments and adversarial threats are shaping the future of space operations. Register here to save your seat!
