U.S. Air Force crew chiefs assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron direct a forklift to load cargo onto a C-17 Globemaster III at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Dec. 21, 2017. The 379th EAMXS is a total force team comprised of Airmen and aircraft from more than 70 different active duty, guard, and reserve force providers supporting six different airframes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Paul Labbe)

This column originally appeared in the Jan. 15, 2018 issue of SpaceNews magazine.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...