Lawmakers Urge Space Force to Allocate Funds for Commercial Spy Satellites
U.S. Space Force's TacSRT Program Gains Momentum Amidst Congressional Support
The Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT) program within the U.S. Space Force is currently in a pilot stage but is receiving strong congressional support for expansion and formalization as a permanent program.
Despite the Department of the Air Force not budgeting for TacSRT in fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025, Congress funded it at around $40 million each year in those fiscal years. For fiscal 2026, the Space Force’s budget did not request sufficient resources to continue TacSRT, but congressional committees have pushed for increased funding and a permanent status for the program.
Lawmakers, particularly the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), are advocating for TacSRT to become a "program of record," which means it would receive consistent, dedicated budgeting and institutional support. The HASC's fiscal 2026 defense bill mandates that the Department of the Air Force fund TacSRT as such and requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to establish a Title 10 requirement for it, thereby integrating it formally into defense acquisition and operational planning.
TacSRT uses commercial data analytics and imagery from commercial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites to help combatant commanders (COCOMs) with space domain awareness. Demand by COCOMs has been high, and some have allocated their own money to support the program, highlighting strong operational utility.
Regarding funding and future expansion, the committees also recommend an additional $55 million for fiscal 2026 to continue execution based on combatant commander requirements. The Secretary of the Air Force is also directed to establish TacSRT as an enduring program within the Future Years Defense Program, specifically under the commercial services budget line item.
In the domain of Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) and hybrid space architectures, the Space Force’s Space Systems Command is collaborating with the Defense Innovation Unit to develop multi-orbit solutions combining commercial and government systems. Lawmakers emphasize stepping up funding for hybrid terminals on aircraft to enable this architecture, demonstrating commitment to integrating TacSRT capabilities with versatile space domains including VLEO.
Additionally, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and U.S. Space Force have formalized a partnership for TacSRT, further institutionalizing the program’s footprint in space-based tactical surveillance and reconnaissance.
Looking Ahead
The VLEO market is poised to explode in the coming years, but it is challenging due to atmospheric drag constantly threatening to pull satellites back down to Earth. To address this challenge, the Space Force released a Small Business Innovation Research solicitation for novel propulsion systems to keep satellites in VLEO, aiming to unlock sustained operations in VLEO for missions like ISR, communications, and space domain awareness.
The HASC has also directed the Secretary of the Air Force to make TacSRT a program of record and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to establish requirements for the tactical surveillance, reconnaissance, and tracking program.
In summary, the bipartisan congressional priority is to expand and enhance TacSRT, leveraging commercial ISR to improve tactical space situational awareness and reconnaissance capabilities, especially in emerging orbits like VLEO.
- The Space Force's TacSRT program, currently in a pilot stage, is set to become a "program of record" due to bipartisan congressional support, with the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) advocating for consistent, dedicated budgeting and institutional support.
- To address the challenge of atmospheric drag in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), the Space Force has issued a Small Business Innovation Research solicitation for novel propulsion systems, aiming to sustain operations in VLEO for missions like ISR, communications, and space domain awareness.
- Congressional committees have pushed for increased funding and a permanent status for the TacSRT program, which uses commercial data analytics and imagery from satellites for tactical space situational awareness and combatant commander requirements. The HASC's fiscal 2026 defense bill mandates that the Department of the Air Force funds TacSRT as a program of record and requires the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to establish a Title 10 requirement for it, thereby integrating it formally into defense acquisition and operational planning.
