GAO Audit Reveals Communication Gaps Hindered Space Force’s Adoption of Commercial Space Data

Topline

A number of Space Force personnel informed congressional auditors that they did not utilize or procure commercial space data, citing concerns they were apparently unaware had already been resolved through a monthly working group established in 2024.

Key Facts

The Government Accountability Office advised the Secretary of the Air Force to enhance awareness of and participation in the working group, according to a review released Thursday examining the Space Force’s acquisition and utilization of commercial space data and services.

The GAO observed that certain officials are missing opportunities to leverage this data after citing “licensing expenses, perceived usage limitations and worries about sustained data availability” as justifications for non-procurement—despite the working group having already tackled these very concerns.

Many of those concerns “could have been resolved through consultations within the working group,” the GAO noted, though certain Space Force officials were excluded from discussions or remained unaware of the working group’s existence.

Big Number

$76.8 million. The amount the Space Force Joint Commercial Operations Cell expended on data and services from the Global Data Marketplace between January 2023 and September 2025.

Key Background

The Space Force procures data, including satellite imagery, utilized by the Department of Defense to observe activities such as adversary positions on Earth and in space. The commercial space sector has experienced rapid expansion in recent years, offering additional data and services that the DOD, other federal agencies and allied governments can employ to track adversaries. Since this information remains unclassified, it can be shared more readily with international partners, per the GAO. The Senate Armed Services Committee previously raised concerns that the DOD had fallen behind in leveraging commercial space data and commissioned the GAO to investigate.

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