Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force, said the service branch plans to award five contracts in 2025 and another 15 contracts the following year for companies to participate in its Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, or CASR, initiative, Defense News reported Friday.
“We’ve got a few things to work through about governance and contracting strategies, but we hope to have our first five contracts in ‘25 and then another 15 contracts or so in ‘26,” Guetlein said Wednesday at the National Security Innovation Forum.
According to the general, the U.S. will need initiatives like CASR that offer options for excess capacity as the country prepares for the possibility of a future conflict with peer adversaries such as Russia and China.
“What we know about this next fight is it’s not going to be efficient,” Guetlein said. “And we’re going to have to get comfortable with being inefficient. That means I need redundant capabilities, excess capacity, proliferation.”
Companies selected for CASR will participate in the Department of Defense’s war games. The first CASR event is scheduled for February.
What Is Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve?
The service branch expects CASR to help establish a framework for the military to leverage commercial space capabilities during peacetime and in conflict.
Since 2023, the Commercial Space Office has developed an implementation for the CASR program, which includes writing contractual language for businesses that will participate in the reserve.
In August, Space Force sought industry feedback to help inform the development of the CASR framework.
