U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John "JT" Thompson, commander of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, talks to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the Air Force Space Pitch Day event in San Francisco.

Live pitch events are one of several avenues the Air Force is pursuing to attract U.S.-owned startups and commercial businesses that are breaking new ground in space technology.

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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...