AFA 2025 — The Space Force intends to buy commercially available spacecraft and payloads for the follow-on to its flagship space domain awareness (SDA) constellation, under a new plan in which the service will own and operate the satellites, according to service officials.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, acting Air Force assistant secretary for acquisition and integration, confirmed today that the acquisition strategy for the new program to replace the six current Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) birds, dubbed RG-XX, has been approved.
Speaking to Breaking Defense during the annual Air and Space Force Association conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Purdy added that he expects the draft solicitation to industry will be issued “soon.”
A Space Force spokesperson confirmed that timeline, saying specifically, “Space Systems Command is targeting a draft RFP [request for proposals] release by the end of the calendar year, although this timeline is subject to change.”
Purdy had ordered a review of commercial options for RG-XX this spring, as part of a broader review by the Space Force of whether high-dollar legacy systems could be switched out in favor of commercial alternatives. The service held an industry day on the RG-XX on Aug. 5.
Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, head of Space Systems Command (SSC), told Breaking Defense on Sept. 16 that SSC’s Combat Power office is “working very closely” with Purdy’s office on the issue of how to “get more at a better price point.”
While noting that it is “probably too soon to say” whether RG-XX will use Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 or Middle Tier Acquisition as a contracting approach, Garrant added that it likely will be the latter.
FAR Part 12 seeks to streamline purchases of commercial products, whereas Middle Tier Acquisition is a separate pathway optimized for rapidly developing fieldable prototypes.
The Space Force spokesperson said the plan for RG-XX “is to maximize the use of commercially available commodity spacecraft and payloads, focusing on integrating what’s available now over developing new designs.
“Our objective is to take advantage of lower overall costs to proliferate SDA capabilities,” the spokesperson added.
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