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Paper
05
Space: The Digital Frontier
Charles Galbreath
Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies,
Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence (MI-SPACE),
United States
ABSTRACT
Space operations are dependent on digital technologies for
every command sent and bit of data received. The United
States Space Force intends to embrace this dependency and
integrate digital tools across the spectrum of their missions
and functions. As a result, the vision, success, and setbacks
they encounter can serve as a case study from which other
spacefaring organizations can learn. The overlapping focus areas
of Digital Workforce, Digital Headquarters, Digital Engineering,
and Digital Operations frame the introduction of Space Force
initiatives. Digital Workforce encompasses all the enterprises
involved in creating professionals with the right attitude and
aptitude to successfully employ digital technologies, from basic
digital familiarization to advanced training. Digital Headquarters
seeks to streamline data-driven decision making at all levels
of the organization. Encompassing the infrastructure, data,
tools, and processes of the Space Force, Digital Engineering’s
objective is to establish an interconnected digital ecosystem
for all Guardians. Digital Operations is the culminating point for
digital transformation, where robotic process automation and
AI/ML algorithms make Guardians more eective and ecient.
