Summary

United States national security is highly dependent on Department of Defense (DOD) space capabilities, which provide unique force-multiplying options to the joint warfighter, exclusive intelligence to national leadership, and potent economic benefits to all citizens. However, as remarkable and critical as these space capabilities may be, they exist within an inherently fragile and stovepiped architecture. Outdated capability development strategies have conspired with the complacent inertia of historical assumptions regarding the “sanctuary” nature of space to render the DOD space architecture vulnerable to a rapidly expanding arsenal of adversary threats. The result is that U.S. space capabilities—long a bastion of strength—have become an Achilles’ heel to America’s national security. This is a major reason why the United States Space Force (USSF) was established.

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Now the fledgling service faces a daunting task: It must not only organize, train, and equip space forces to deliver a host of critical capabilities to the warfighter and the nation, it must ensure those capabilities endure in an environment increasingly characterized by extreme complexity and uncertainty. In other words, the USSF must develop a more survivable, flexible, and interoperable space architecture. And it must do so quickly; potential adversaries are moving apace, determined to eclipse U.S. dominance of the space domain. Given the scope and nature of the challenge, it’s fair to question whether traditional DOD development and design methodologies are up to the task. What is desperately needed is a more nimble capability development methodology.

As noted in a previous paper by the author, the basis of such a nimble methodology may already exist. It is called Designing for Principles (DfP), and its name is derived from the fact that it emphasizes broad architectural principles of design—like survivability and flexibility—over traditional performance requirements. Furthermore, DfP thrives on uncertainty, favors strategic thinking, and prioritizes responsive speed above almost all else. It is perhaps an ideal match for the USSF to overcome its daunting task and exploit the opportunities unique to this moment. Whereas the previous paper described the general DfP approach to capability development, this paper provides specific recommendations on how the USSF can actually begin implementing DfP across the space enterprise.

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