WASHINGTON — Commercial satellite operators for years have urged the Department of Defense to rely less on government-owned satellites and more on their own services. While advocacy efforts haven’t resulted in a massive shift yet, a proposed increase in the 2025 budget allocation for commercial satellite communications integration offers a glimmer of hope, said a senior industry executive. 

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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...