PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- U.S. Space Command leaders joined space professionals from around the world to participate in the 37th annual Space Symposium at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 4-7, 2022.
The Space Symposium, hosted by the non-profit Space Foundation each year since 1984, brings together sectors of the space enterprise from around the world to discuss and plan for the future of space.
USSPACECOM commander, U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, participated in multiple bilateral engagements throughout the week. Dickinson’s keynote speech revealed the Combatant Command’s new commercial integration strategy framework.
“Accelerating commercialization of space presents new and significant opportunities for us,” said Dickinson. “This is because partnering with commercial entities enables us to adapt faster, innovate more readily and integrate cutting-edge technology. We can also bolster space architecture resilience, better understand the space domain, expedite decision-making, and devise economical solutions to strategic problems.”
Dickinson explained that the commercial integration strategy would help USSPACECOM fill system requirements and increase collaboration with expert minds from the space industry, and make space safer for nations and corporations.
An overview pamphlet laid out the purpose of the strategy and the benefits of commercial integration.
Among other systems, USSPACECOM will prioritize integration with operational intelligence, Space Domain Awareness, satellite communications bandwidth, remote sensing, modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, quantum computing and encryption.
Dickinson also acknowledged the tremendous accomplishments of U.S. Allies’ in space. He mentioned several of our closest allies by sharing a collage of photos highlighting those who have established their own space command and operations organizations over the past several years, including France, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and the Republic of Korea.
During the symposium, Air Vice Marshall Paul Godfrey, U.K. Space Command commander and Dickinson signed an Enhanced Space Cooperation memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further the exchange of information, identify potential collaborative studies, projects or activities, and harmonize military space requirements. The agreement will improve coordination and interoperability between the U.S. and U.K. to sustain freedom of action in space, optimize resources, enhance mission resilience, and deter conflict.
Additionally, USSPACECOM and the Swedish Air Force signed a Space Situational Awareness sharing agreement. Maj. Gen. Carl-Johan Edstrom, Swedish Air Force commander, and U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Michael Bernacchi, USSPACECOM director of Strategy, Plans and Policy Directorate, signed the SSA sharing agreement. This was the 30th SSA agreement with a partner nation, and the 149th overall, to include agreements with intergovernmental, commercial and academic partners.
“We want to welcome the Swedish Air Force to USSPACECOM’s Space Situational Awareness sharing program,” said Bernacchi. “We are excited to have you as part of a larger effort to support spaceflight planning and enhance the safety, stability, security and sustainability of space operations. The rules-based international order depends on responsible space behaviors to keep space safe and free to use for all nations.”
In addition to speaking engagements and meetings, USSPACECOM volunteers hosted a multi-media video exhibit for the duration of Space Symposium. Military and government civilians from diverse backgrounds within the command, represented by all services of the military, discussed their expertise areas with guests and answered questions about various aspects of USSPACECOM’s mission.
This year, the symposium hosted more than 10,000 civil, commercial, international and military representatives from 40 different nations and featured presentations from 200 plus speakers. The chief executives of more than 15 space agencies spoke at the event, including USSPACECOM, Secretary of the Air Force, U.S. Space Force, NASA, and the European Space Agency, among many others.
USSPACECOM’s mission is to conduct operations in, from, and to space to deter conflict, and if necessary, defeat aggression, deliver space combat power for the Joint/Combined force, and defend U.S. vital interests with allies and partners.