NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Space Force is giving SpaceX latitude to design one of the military’s new low-Earth orbit satellite networks, setting performance requirements rather than prescribing the number and configuration of spacecraft needed to meet them.

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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...