U.S. Space Force Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, a senior acquisition official at the Department of the Air Force, speaks at the 2026 Air & Space Forces Association’s Warfare Conference. Credit: Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association

WASHINGTON — The Space Force’s push to accelerate procurement of new systems is running up against a basic constraint: not enough contracting officers and financial managers to execute the work.

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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...