Space Strategy - Episode 13: 'A Domain for Commerce': Moving from a discovery architecture to a sustained and commerce-centric architecture

In this episode, Senior Fellow in Defense Studies Peter Garretson interviews General James Cartwright, Harold Brown Chair in Defense Policy Studies for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, former commander of USSTRATCOM, and former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They discuss the Atlantic Council's The Future of Security in Space report, and why a 30-year vision and strategy is a necessity. They also touch on the massive shifts in scale and focus, and the movement from discovery-centric to commerce-centric approaches and architectures, and the role policy and the military can play to promote a rules-based order. They explore the necessity of taking a Cislunar approach, and the posture necessary to leverage the private sector to remain competitive. They examine re-usable space logistics architectures including rocket cargo, and the imperative for the Secretary of the Air Force to work the seam between Air and Space to make sure requirements allow interoperability and transit between the two domains. They assess who has agency in the Joint Requirements System to build the architecture of tomorrow. Gen Cartwright provides insights on how USSPACECOM will be a supported domain and how space is unique and different because of our reliance on machines and eventually AI. Finally, Gen Cartwright stresses the importance for the nation to focus on the transition to a commerce-centric approach to the Space domain and the critical role of the Space Force in supporting commerce.

General Cartwright:

https://www.csis.org/people/james-e-cartwright

OpEd:

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/03/the-space-rush-new-us-strategy-must-bring-order-regulation/

Atlantic Council Report:

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/TheFutureofSecurityinSpace.pdf

USCC testimony (starting page 13):

https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2019-10/April%2025%202019%20Hearing%20Transcript.pdf

Work on Space Domain Awareness to Cislunar:

https://www.afrl.af.mil/News/Photos/igphoto/2002556344/mediaid/4752579/

Work to extend PNT to Cislunar:

https://www.xplore.com/press/releases/2020/04.06.2020_xplore_receives_usaf_award.html