{"id":18071,"date":"2018-11-08T15:23:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T15:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/08\/space-expertise-isnt-necessary-to-run-the-space-development-agency-says-pentagon-deputy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:38:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:38:02","slug":"space-expertise-isnt-necessary-to-run-the-space-development-agency-says-pentagon-deputy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2018\/11\/08\/space-expertise-isnt-necessary-to-run-the-space-development-agency-says-pentagon-deputy\/","title":{"rendered":"Space expertise isn\u2019t necessary to run the Space Development Agency, says Pentagon deputy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Pentagon\u2019s No. 2 official has someone in mind to run the new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/2018\/08\/09\/space-force-will-be-6th-military-branch-by-2020-vice-president-pence-announces\/\" target=_blank>Space Development Agency<\/a>, and it may not be someone from the space community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an exclusive interview with Defense News, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan also said he expects the cost for a future Space Force <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/air-force-association\/2018\/09\/19\/shanahan-downplays-disagreements-over-space-force-structure\/\" target=_blank>will be below<\/a> the $13 billion estimate floated by the Air Force in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Space Development Agency, which would be a joint procurement arm in charge of setting standards and avoiding the duplication on space technology, appears to be the hub of Shanahan\u2019s plans for rebuilding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/space\/\" target=_blank>Pentagon\u2019s space architecture<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There has been a widespread assumption, among those tracking progress on creation of the agency, that it would be headed by someone from the space community. However, Shanahan made it clear that space experience may be nice, but isn\u2019t his priority for a candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the deputy wants someone who has experience merging multiple systems and who has \u201creal technical chops\u201d when it comes to integrating systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s less about the space mission &#8230; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to drive standards and integration,\u201d Shanahan said Oct. 31.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2018\/10\/29\/the-biggest-challenge-to-the-pentagons-space-plan-hint-its-not-the-technology\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mattis_pence.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The biggest challenge to the Pentagon\u2019s space plan? Hint: \u2018It\u2019s not the technology\u2019<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The planning for the Space Force continues &#8230;.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSomebody that\u2019s really done integration; somebody to understand systems engineering. So think about, you know, the ground stations and the architecture that goes along with that,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is our chance to have true integration.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis is that integrated environment that we have to protect, and the best way to be able to provision for the future is to develop a foundation that\u2019s rooted in a very well-defined architecture and standards,\u201d he added. \u201cAnd the standards aren\u2019t just simply for interfaces, these are design standards, you\u2019re manufacturing standards, these are test standards \u2014 so it\u2019s a suite of those things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it was noted it appears he has someone specific in mind to lead the agency, Shanahan laughed and said, \u201cOf course I do,\u201d but he declined to name the candidate. (Based on how the job has been described, it seems likely the agency head will not need to be confirmed by the Senate, giving Shanahan a clear path for whoever he has targeted.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the answer may come soon. Shanahan wants the agency set up quickly. \u201c\u201cWe have to start tonight. I\u2019m more interested in starting tonight than I am in capturing everything,\u201d he said during an October event.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/airlift-tanker-annual\/2018\/10\/26\/us-air-force-explores-space-based-cargo-operations-confirms-talks-with-spacex\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/moon-bfr.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US Air Force explores space-based cargo operations, confirms talks with SpaceX<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">While it&#039;s currently just a concept, Air Mobility Command is taking a look at how cargo operations could be done in space.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Space Force costs<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In September, an Air Force memo putting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/air-force-association\/2018\/09\/17\/air-force-secretary-space-force-will-come-with-13b-in-added-costs\/\" target=_blank>new costs for the creation of a Space Force<\/a> at $13 billion emerged. But that is only one cost estimate, with the Office of the Secretary of Defense expected to deliver its own figure sometime before the end of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked if it was fair to assume the OSD estimate would be less than the Air Force\u2019s estimate, Shanahan smiled, laughed and indicated that it would be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cShort answer: It\u2019s going to be less than that. I haven\u2019t looked at the number, but it\u2019s going to be less than that,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not concerned that people are just going to generate a big bill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The $13 billion figure sent waves of sticker shock through the defense community and led to accusations that the Air Force \u2014 which has been reluctant to embrace the idea of a Space Force \u2014 were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2018\/09\/18\/new-space-force-price-tag-fuels-skepticism-on-capitol-hill\/\" target=_blank>hyping up costs<\/a> to try and kill the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Shanahan seemed confident that new costs will be lower than the Air Force believes. \u201cThere\u2019s going to be a cost, but what I want to do is take existing cost and move it over to this,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The goal here is not to create a lot of incremental cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn this department, you know with this secretary and this Congress, people in the White House, they\u2019re not going to let us just go throw money at that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expect to get clarity on the Pentagon&#8217;s future space structures soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":35879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":23,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"4":{"categories":[],"primary_category":""},"8":{"categories":["leadership","management","home","daily-brief","newsletters"],"primary_category":"leadership"},"9":{"categories":["home","daily-brief","newsletters"],"primary_category":"home"}}},"categories":[160,163,36,19,23],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3378],"class_list":["post-18071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-military-space-report","category-newsletters","category-pentagon","category-space"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"U4ZLQPGNPNBRBJLS66SMPUBEQM","arc_canonical_url":"\/space\/2018\/11\/08\/space-expertise-isnt-necessary-to-run-the-space-development-agency-says-pentagon-deputy\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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