WASHINGTON — In a significant departure from traditional defense procurement practices, the U.S. Space Force is moving to replace its specialized military satellites used for geostationary surveillance with systems built and operated by commercial vendors, a shift aimed at expanding supplier diversity and tapping into the private sector’s capabilities.

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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...