Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, administers the U.S. Space Force oath of office to 86 graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 2020 in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 18. In all, 967 cadets crossed the stage to become the Air Force’s and Space Force’s newest second lieutenants.

The traditional way of buying satellites and other space systems is problematic, Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, the leader of the U.S. Space Force has said, as programs take a decade or longer to move through the military acquisition process and struggle to keep up with commercial space innovation.

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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...