Space Force issues initial operational awards for commercial reserve effort
Space Systems Command awarded six short-term contracts totaling $1.37 million to firms that track objects in orbit. The deals are an initial operational step in the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, a program meant to draw on private space services during wartime. Officials still need to resolve legal questions about cutting off other customers and reimbursing companies for satellites lost in conflict.
The six recipients are EOS Space Systems, NorthStar Earth and Space, InTrack Radar, Anduril (through ExoAnalytic), Slingshot Aerospace and LeoLabs. The awards total $1.37 million and use a General Services Administration vehicle that the Joint Commercial Operations cell uses for commercial data and services; such contracts reportedly run six months or less.
They follow March 2025 three-month pilot contracts worth $1.1 million to four unnamed firms, which tested contracting processes and the CASR framework rather than providing operational data. COMSO head Col. Tim Tremillo said the new short-term work aims to add space domain awareness data and gauge military demand, with expansion expected across more companies and mission areas.
The CASR effort could affect satellite operators, insurers, and customers relying on orbital tracking, because wartime call-ups may require firms to prioritize military needs and face reimbursement questions. Broader society may benefit from improved space domain awareness, but legal uncertainty over cutting off other users and compensating lost satellites could shape costs and service reliability. How officials resolve those issues may influence private companies’ willingness to join and the resilience of commercial space services during conflict.