WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 19, 2019) – Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Luján, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres Small urged Department of Defense Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan to consider New Mexico as a host for co-locating the Space Development Agency headquarters and to fully utilize the state’s existing core research and development space assets. 

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan recently noted that the Department of Defense must make changes to its research, development, and acquisition processes to protect U.S. vital interests in space. Key among these changes is the establishment of a Space Development Agency (SDA). 

In their letter, the members outlined New Mexico’s significant space R&D community and critical assets, including the state’s two National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) laboratories, hundreds of private space industry leaders, large technical workforce, Spaceport America, the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate, and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. 

“As you stand up the SDA, we urge you and other senior leaders to look to the state of New Mexico as a host for co-locating the agency headquarters and to be your lead entities for implementing the space R&D policies you directed,” wrote the lawmakers.

“Specifically, we urge you to retain and strengthen each of our nation’s existing core R&D assets and, most importantly, to ensure that the DoD is not reinventing the wheel nor unnecessarily moving pieces around at the expense of limited taxpayer dollars.”

“The Sp-RCO, in particular, provides the Department with a tremendous opportunity to utilize the office’s unique acquisition authorities to develop and transition space systems quickly towards a more disaggregated space architecture,” the lawmakers continued. 

A copy of the letter is available here and below.   

Patrick M. Shanahan
Acting Secretary
U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan:

As members of the New Mexico congressional delegation, we welcome the increased prioritization from the Department of Defense toward research and development (R&D) of space technology. The United States is heavily reliant on space systems, and we believe that it is critical to empower the space R&D enterprise with the resources and authorities that it needs and to preserve the elements that have positioned the United States as a leader in space R&D for decades. 

In your January directive to senior civilian and military leaders, you rightly acknowledge that “adversaries of the United States recognize both (1) the overwhelming advantages space capabilities contribute to the joint force, and (2) the dependence of modern military systems on space assets.” As a result, you noted that the “DoD must make changes to our research, development, and acquisition processes to protect U.S. vital interests in space. Key among these changes is the establishment of the Space Development Agency (SDA).” We agree that near-peer competitors are moving very fast in developing space R&D and rapidly fielding new capabilities, and that we need to move with a greater sense of urgency. 

As you stand up the SDA, we urge you and other senior leaders to look to the state of New Mexico as a host for co-locating the agency headquarters and to be your lead entities for implementing the space R&D policies you directed. New Mexico is already home to many of the nation’s core space assets and has a significant space R&D community:

Hundreds of private space industry leaders; Large, highly technical work force and linkages to some of the most cutting edge scientists and technologists in the nation Two National Nuclear Security Administration laboratories; Space and Missile Systems Center’s Advanced Systems and Development Directorate; Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate; Space Test Program; White Sands Missile Range, the largest overland testing facility in the United States; Spaceport America, a Federal Aviation Administration licensed spaceport with inland launch and potential point-to-point transportation from orbit; Starfire Optical Range; Aerospace Data Facility-Southwest; Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Sp-RCO)

The Sp-RCO, in particular, provides the Department with a tremendous opportunity to utilize the office’s unique acquisition authorities to develop and transition space systems quickly towards a more disaggregated space architecture. 

Specifically, we urge you to retain and strengthen each of our nation’s existing core R&D assets and, most importantly, to ensure that the DoD is not reinventing the wheel nor unnecessarily moving pieces around at the expense of limited taxpayer dollars. 

Thank you for your serious consideration. We look forward to working with you and other senior leaders to ensure New Mexico serves a critical role in the creation of the SDA and as a leader in modernizing our space R&D enterprise.

Sincerely,

Cc: Michael Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering  
Heather Wilson, Secretary of the Air Force  
Fred Kennedy, Director of Space Development Agency  
John Raymond, Commander of Air Force Space Command

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.