By Shen Qiyou and Liu Jing
Recently, the US Space Force conducted an exercise codenamed Resolute Space 2025. During the exercise, multiple US commercial space companies not only provided data support for key operational actions but also fully participated in constructing a realistic combat training environment. Previously, the US-led NATO released the first Commercial Space Strategy at the NATO summit in The Hague, explicitly advocating for commercial space companies to assist regional partners in enhancing their space combat capabilities. Analysts point out that the US continues to advance a series of measures to militarize commercial space capabilities, posing a serious challenge to the international space security order.
In recent years, the US Space Force has preliminarily established a space combat system that integrates military and commercial resources through strategic planning and institutional reforms.
At the strategic planning level, the US successively issued the US Space Force Commercial Space Strategy and the DOD Commercial Space Integration Strategy in 2024, incorporating emerging technological innovations and partnerships with commercial space companies into its space combat system. These measures aim to integrate space resources from the US military, commercial space companies, and allied countries, building a more resilient and diversified distributed space architecture to enhance overall deterrence and consolidate US dominance in space affairs.
In terms of organizational reform, as early as 2023, the US Space Force reorganized its previously functionally dispersed offices and renamed the former Commercial Services Office as the Office of Commercial Space. This office is dedicated to promoting deeper collaboration between commercial space companies and the military to accelerate the transformation of emerging space technologies into operational capabilities at lower cost. Its budget has increased year by year, and by leveraging innovations from the commercial space sector, it has significantly enhanced the US Space Force's capabilities in surveillance, reconnaissance, and target tracking.
This May, US President Donald Trump unveiled the development plan for the Golden Dome space-based missile defense system and has continued to release related details. Although the plan still faces debates over technical feasibility and funding, it is expected to attract multiple commercial space companies to participate in the research, development, and production of space defense systems. For example, Booz Allen has proposed the Brilliant Swarms™ solution, planning to deploy 100 small satellites equipped with AI systems to achieve intelligent detection and maneuverable interception of threatening targets.
The US acceleration of the militarization of commercial space capabilities represents not only a technological transformation for the US Space Force but also a proactive strategy in response to so-called major-country competition.
From a technological perspective, the development of cutting-edge technologies such as reusable rockets, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence has reduced the cost of space activities, giving commercial space companies a significant advantage in developing products with high cost-effectiveness. Traditional satellites of the US military are characterized by long development cycles and high costs. In contrast, commercial space companies can meet diverse needs, such as satellite communications, persistent reconnaissance, and navigation and positioning, through more flexible approaches.
From a strategic standpoint, in recent years, the US has conducted a series of space military exercises, such as Olympic Defender, Schriever Wargame and Resolute Space, to deepen the alignment of space interests with its allies, while integrating commercial space companies into the exercise framework, thereby consolidating its dominance in space.
It is noteworthy that the US has also strengthened the integration of commercial space and military sectors through legislative measures. For example, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 encourages commercial space companies to participate in military missions such as space situational awareness and satellite servicing, while offering them tax incentives and R&D subsidies. This dual approach of "policy-plus-market" further accelerates the militarization of commercial space technologies.
Analysts point out that the essence of the US effort to build a "military-commercial integrated" space operations system lies in converting commercial innovation into military advantage, while shifting R&D costs and trial-and-error risks onto commercial space companies, which allows the military to focus on integrating and applying new technologies and maintain strategic dominance in the space frontier. However, this pursuit of space hegemony is seriously undermining existing multilateral governance mechanisms for space arms control. Regulating the militarization of commercial space and preventing the trend toward space militarization have become urgent challenges for the international community in safeguarding the peaceful use of outer space.