OneWeb Satellites' purpose-built factory in Merritt Island, Florida, has already started limited manufacturing, with final commissioning underway, according to OneWeb Satellites CEO Tony Gingiss. The factory is part of Exploration Park, a commercial space hub located on nearly 300 acres of NASA-owned land outside the gates of Kennedy Space Center. Credit: OneWeb Sattelites

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has come to rely on commercial companies and investors to develop next-generation space systems. The top official from the U.S. Space Force procurement arm, Lt. Gen. John Thompson, said in February that only 20 percent of the R&D investment in space now comes from the DoD and 80 percent from commercial investors.

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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...