Vol. 52, July 2024
Key Points
The U.S. Space Force (USSF) recognizes that
to address Russian and Chinese offensive
ambitions in space, it must gain and maintain
space superiority. This is reflected in the tenets
of its theory of Competitive Endurance.
Small satellites, or “SmallSats,” can play
a much larger role in realizing the goals of
Competitive Endurance, but the USSF must
be allocated the resources and authorities
necessary to develop and field this new
generation of capability.
Employing SmallSats affords the ability to rapidly
reconstitute lost capabilities and field defensive
measures such as camouflage, concealment,
and deception (CCD). SmallSats can also greatly
expand the fielding of sensors and host a range
of defensive and offensive weapons.
The changes that SmallSats represent to satellite
procurement and employment mean that the
USSF must likewise shift its thinking about how
it fields and operates its space architecture to
establish space superiority in a future conflict in
space.
The attributes of SmallSats means the USSF
could scale up SmallSat procurement, continuing
trends that reduce costs and increase employment
flexibility as well as technology refresh rates. The
Space Force should leverage these dynamics to
expand SmallSat usage to meet requirments of
each tenet of Competitive Endurance.
Now is the time for the United States to fully leverage the unique
attributes of small satellites, or “SmallSats,” to achieve space superiority.
Adversaries like China and Russia have developed counterspace weapons to
target the fragile legacy U.S. space architecture originally designed to operate
in an uncontested space domain. Likewise, adversary space-enabled kill chains
pose an increasing threat to U.S. and allied air, land, and maritime forces
around the world. Establishing space resiliency is not enough. e United
States must have the tools to achieve space superiority and deliver on the
tenets of Competitive Endurance—Avoid Operational Surprise, Deny First
Mover Advantage, and Conduct Responsible Counterspace Campaigning.
e combination of mature technologies, lower launch costs, and increasing
threats create a fleeting window of opportunity for the United States to field
an architecture with SmallSats to achieve the necessary capabilities to gain
and maintain space superiority.
e Space Force, Congress, and the industrial base must adjust old
paradigms built around large, legacy space systems with long and costly
development timelines and move toward a hybrid approach that includes
both SmallSats and large, exquisite satellite systems that balance mission
requirements, resilience, and the ability to operate in a contested space
domain. e Space Force must develop a supporting infrastructure of
awareness and communication with the capacity to effectively command and
control large numbers of SmallSats. Industry must adjust its supply chain
and manufacturing capabilities to account for large-scale, modular, and rapid
production. Finally, realizing this vision also demands adequate funding.
Congress must resource the development and acquisition of SmallSats to meet
the objectives of Competitive Endurance.
Failing to operationalize SmallSats will thwart the Space Force’s
mandate of achieving space superiority and undermine U.S. deterrence. Given
the adversary threat and the critical role that space plays for the United States
and its allies, this is a critical juncture the nation must navigate wisely.
Abstract
Small Satellites: Answering the Call
for Space Superiority
by Charles S. Galbreath
Senior Fellow for Space Studies, the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
with Aidan Poling
MITCHELL INSTITUTE
Policy Paper
