Five years after its establishment, the United States Space Force remains hindered by its dependence on the Air Force for both funding and legislative access. To address the escalating threats posed by adversaries like China and Russia, the Space Force urgently needs two things: increased funding to reflect the scope of its mission and legislative autonomy to advocate for the specialized demands of space operations.

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Charles Beames is an aerospace investor, chairman of the SmallSat Alliance and York Space Systems, and the executive chairman of SpiderOak and TrustPoint Inc.

Angel Smith is the executive director of the SmallSat Alliance and currently serves as general manager of Strategic Global Enablement at Microsoft.