China and Russia have fielded systems capable of jamming, disabling or destroying satellites, while their own spacecraft provide targeting and communications for forces on the ground. Preparing for warfare in space therefore means more than keeping American satellites operating under attack. The Space Force is also developing ways to disrupt an adversary’s use of space and to get satellite-derived information to commanders and weapons quickly enough to affect a fight. Schiess is expected to continue the emphasis Saltzman placed on recasting the Space Force as a warfighting service. Saltzman spent much of his tenure arguing that guardians must be prepared not only to protect U.S. satellites but also to deny adversaries the space capabilities they would use against U.S. forces. Shaw expects Schiess to carry that message forward. ... While the NRO’s central mission remains national intelligence, the technology and acquisition machinery developed for that mission are becoming increasingly relevant to military operations. Mason described the relationship as essential and pointed to their work on moving-target tracking as a model for how the two organizations can combine their respective acquisition and operational strengths. ... The growth in military space spending is already drawing companies toward the defense market. “It’s absolutely a real trend: commercial firms are looking to defense markets,” Wilson said. That leaves Schiess, Hernandez-Baquero and Mason facing different versions of the same practical question. The national security space establishment has created new organizations, acquisition authorities and relationships with industry while arguing that the military needs substantially more capability in orbit. Now the resources are beginning to follow. https://spacenews.com/new-leaders-take-over-as-washington-bets-big-on-military-space/