DoD Stand Up Space Development Agency | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-06.23.25

Airborne-NextGen-06.24.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.25.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.26.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.27.25

Fri, Mar 15, 2019

DoD Stand Up Space Development Agency

'Space Force' Draws Continued Criticism From Air Force Leadership

The Space Development Agency ... which is sometimes referred to as the "Space Force" ... has been officially established by the Department of Defense, and a director for the agency has been named by the Pentagon.

Defense News reports that it has obtained a memo signed March 12 by acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan (pictured) standing up the new office. The SDA will fall under the direction of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin, and Fred Kennedy has been named as the SDA director. Kennedy is currently director of the Tactical Technology Office, which falls under the purview of DARPA.

“The SDA will define and monitor the Department’s future threat-driven space architecture and will accelerate the development and fielding of new military space capabilities necessary to ensure out technological and military advantage in space for national defense,” Shanahan wrote in the memo. “The SDA will unify and integrate efforts across the Department to define, develop and field the novel and innovative solutions necessary to outpace advancing threats.”

But outgoing Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson remains very critical of the establishment of the "Space Force". In January, she wrote a memo stating that the SDA "appears to replicate existing (missions) already ordered by Congress ... Until the Space Development Agency has a uniquely identifiable mission that cannot be accomplished by current organizations, the plan should not move forward,” she wrote.

While Wilson has resigned to take a position in academia, her criticism will carry weight with whomever is named as the next Secretary of the Air Force, who will have responsibility for the agency if it is approved by Congress.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report, Source report

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Prelim: Piper PA-23

Pilot Also Reported That Due To A Fuel Leak, The Auxiliary Fuel Tanks Were Not Used On June 4, 2025, at 13:41 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23, N2109P, was substantially damage>[...]

ANN FAQ: Submit a News Story!

Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: One Man’s Vietnam

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Reflections on War’s Collective Lessons and Cyclical Nature The exigencies of war ought be colorblind. Inane social-constructs the likes of racis>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.03.25)

Aero Linx: Colorado Pilots Association (CPA) Colorado Pilots Association was incorporated as a Colorado Nonprofit Corporation in 1972. It is a statewide organization with over 700 >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.03.25): High Speed Taxiway

High Speed Taxiway A long radius taxiway designed and provided with lighting or marking to define the path of aircraft, traveling at high speed (up to 60 knots), from the runway ce>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC