The expanding global commercial space industry offers new opportunities--such as technological advances in small satellites, lower launch costs, and innovative satellite applications--that could help the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) meet its mission requirements more efficiently and give it access to a broader innovation pool. The Department of the Air Force (DAF), particularly the U.S. Space Force (USSF), is increasing its partnership activities with the commercial space industry to take advantage of these opportunities. As the DAF makes investment decisions to leverage commercial space capabilities, it needs a better understanding of opportunities, risks, and challenges it might encounter. To help the DAF evaluate these potential benefits and risks, RAND researchers examined two space-related markets that together represent the widest variation in market and firm maturity: the commercial space-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) market (an emerging market) and the commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) market (an established market). This variation between the two markets is useful for identifying distinct and cross-cutting themes that could be generalized to other commercial space markets not analyzed in this research. In this report, the researchers describe their analysis and provide findings and recommendations for the DAF.

The Deputy Secretary of Defense tasked the Defense Business Board to form a task group to identify impediments to DoD's ability to better utilize the commercial satellite sector and recommend ways forward that allow DoD to better leverage opportunities from commercial satellite communications service providers. The task group reported four findings. 1. COMSAT is needed to satisfy future DoD requirements by impediments exist. 2.SATCOM is a mission critical resource. 3. "Nontraditional" opportunities for rapid COMSAT acquisition are available but not being utilized. 4. DoD's management structure and strategy is currently not optimized.

This report assesses military use of commercial wideband satellites by evaluating their effectiveness across several characteristics defined by the United States Space Command. The cost of buying or leasing commercial systems is then found and compared with the cost of buying military systems with commercial characteristics.

This new edition introduces and examines the space technologies that benefit our everyday lives. Each chapter now includes exercises and problems, and the content covers new satellites and emerging technologies. It explores the ever-improving quality of satellite systems and services, and also investigates ways to bring about higher resolution satellite imagery and lower satellite costs. The focus is on man-made satellites, which are becoming smaller, smarter, cheaper, and easier to launch, having a longer life span, and are less susceptible to interference. Furthermore, the book considers advances in several key technologies that affect the satellite industry. Includes extensive study questions and exercises after each chapter. Explains present commercial space technology and its future outlook. Explores the many applications of space technologies and their impact on our lives, including real world examples. Presents a future outlook on robotics, communications and navigation, and human health and nanotechnology. Provides a clear understanding of space, space technologies, space applications, space security, space regulations, a space roadmap, and their impact on the lives of humans now and for generations to come.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is considering major investments in systems that exploit information to support warfighting, and communications between users around the globe will be key to transmitting and using this information. In the near term, there are not enough military systems to satisfy projected communications demand and commercial systems will have to be used. In the future, budgetary pressures will make it difficult for the services to satisfy the projected communications demand with dedicated military assets. This report seeks to answer several questions: 1) How much of the projected demand can be met with programmed and planned military assets?; 2) Can commercial technologies, systems, or services meet the remaining needs? How do commercial communication assets compare with military assets in their ability to meet criteria important to DoD? What steps might be taken to mitigate shortfalls?; 3) What is the expected cost of providing the projected communications demand?; and, 4) What investment strategies should DoD employ to minimize the expected cost? The many categories of military communications include everything from battlefield communications between mobile users to communications between fixed sites in rear areas. Some of these communications must be survivable in a nuclear war, and others need high levels of protection from detection, interception, or jamming. Some require verv high data rates, whereas others need only low data rates. Some communications can be by wire or fiber optic cable, whereas others must use wireless means. We have examined a specific category of communications-high bandwidth, minimally protected satellite communications. This category of military demand represents roughly half of the projected military satellite capacity needs. To the extent that use of commercial systems can satisfy this need, military systems can be used for more specialized communications needing a greater level of control over their operation.