"How the U.S. Is Preparing for a War in Space" - LA

From Support Domain to Battlefield: How the U.S. Is Preparing for a War in Space

Presenter:

Vivienne Machi, Military Space Editor, Aviation Week & Space Technology

Six years after its establishment, the U.S. Space Force is shifting from a focus on growth toward full-spectrum warfighting on orbit. While space has long been described as a benign environment for scientific research, the Pentagon now says the domain is too critical for military operations and our daily lives to leave unprotected. Meanwhile, competitor nations are demonstrating new space-based systems and activities that could target U.S. assets.

As the Trump administration advertises a $1.5 trillion defense budget in fiscal year 2027, space leaders are requesting a boost in funds for new systems and personnel to prepare for on-orbit conflict. The Pentagon and Congress are steering billions toward resilient satellites, maneuverable spacecraft, electronic warfare capabilities and space-based missile defense. The national security space sector is growing rapidly, driving new space companies and startups to invest in classified workspaces, rapid manufacturing factories and secure supply chains.

This presentation will highlight how Space Force Guardians are training for warfighting in space via large-scale exercises and digital training ranges, and the old and new mission areas that the service is being tasked to provide to the Joint Force during military operations. It will also provide a snapshot of where the Pentagon’s priorities are headed in the burgeoning market for space security.

Presenter:

Vivienne Machi joined Aviation Week as the publication’s first military space editor in 2024, after spending nearly a decade covering defense technology, commercial space developments and geopolitics for other publications, including Defense News, Defense Daily, Foreign Policy, Business Insider, and Via Satellite. She is an award-winning journalist who has covered the Pentagon and Capitol Hill from Washington, D.C., NATO and the French and German militaries from Stuttgart, Germany, and now national security and commercial space news from Los Angeles.

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