Lawmakers Advocate for Space Force to Allocate Funds Towards Modern Commercial Spying Technologies
The Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT) program of the United States Space Force is at a pivotal moment, with lawmakers pushing for its official recognition and significant funding increases.
Currently, TacSRT is funded independent of the Air Force's official budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025, having received approximately $40 million in each year from Congress [1]. However, for fiscal 2026, there are plans to solidify and expand TacSRT's funding and capabilities.
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) fiscal 2026 defense bill proposes making TacSRT a "program of record," formally budgeting and funding it as a standard program, rather than as a pilot initiative [1]. The HASC also emphasizes increased funding for developing hybrid commercial-military terminals on aircraft to support TacSRT missions [1].
Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense panel advises adding $55 million for TacSRT in fiscal 2026 [3]. Furthermore, the Senate aims to establish a new electro-optical commercial services program with funding of at least $100 million annually starting in fiscal 2027 to support programs like TacSRT [3].
Lawmakers are also encouraging the Pentagon to leverage commercial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites more extensively within TacSRT to augment military capabilities at a lower cost [2][4]. This involves tapping into private imaging and sensing satellite constellations.
Regarding expansion to new orbital regimes, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Space Systems Command are exploring architectures involving multi-orbit capabilities, which encompass Very Low-Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites, in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit, to enhance the hybrid space architecture combining commercial and government systems [1].
The push includes addressing space launch capabilities, with Senate mandates emphasizing heavy-lift launch capacity (such as SpaceX Starship and other next-gen rockets) to quickly deploy large or constellations of payloads including those supporting TacSRT and VLEO operations [2][4].
Rep. Jeff Crank's amendment in the authorization bill recognizes the potential of VLEO for persistent surveillance, tactical ISR, and responsive sensing in contested environments [4]. Crank also proposed adding $1 million to the budget for the development of a Very Low Earth Orbit Persistent Surveillance System in a separate amendment to the defense appropriations bill.
The Space Force's Small Business Innovation Research solicitation aims to develop novel propulsion systems to keep satellites in VLEO, with the goal of unlocking sustained operations in VLEO for ISR, communications, and space domain awareness [4].
The House of Representatives has directed the Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office to review TacSRT, its mission use cases, objectives, and contracting mechanisms. Within six months, CAPE is expected to brief Congress on its findings [1].
TacSRT was used during the withdrawal from air bases in Niger and the construction of the Joint-Logistics-Over-the-Shore pier off Gaza in 2024 to keep U.S. forces safe [1]. TacSRT provides unclassified reconnaissance and surveillance information to organizations within the Pentagon, fulfilled by commercial firms within hours [1].
In the 2026 budget request, TacSRT seemed to have been squeezed out by other priorities [1]. However, the authorization bill includes $5 million directed toward "VLEO Spacecraft for Tactical SRT."
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has funded efforts to develop propulsion tech for VLEO [4]. Despite not requesting funds for TacSRT in 2024 and 2025, Congress added around $40 million to the program each year [1].
Members of the House of Representatives are concerned that funding TacSRT solely through congressional increases does not enable the project to plan beyond the year of execution [1]. The Space Force did not request funds for TacSRT in 2024 and 2025, but Congress added around $40 million to the program each year [1]. The CAPE is expected to identify and make recommendations for the pilot project's organization, operations, and use of contracts with commercial vendors [1].
In summary, TacSRT is currently congressionally funded outside the Air Force’s budget but is at the threshold of becoming an officially funded program of record in fiscal 2026 with expanded funding above $55 million and rising to over $100 million annually thereafter. Lawmakers plan to enhance its capability by integrating commercial ISR satellites, developing hybrid commercial-military terminals, deploying multi-orbit systems including in VLEO, and improving launch infrastructure to support these goals [1][2][3][4].
- The Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT) program of the United States Space Force, currently funded independently of the Air Force's official budget, is poised to become an official program of record in fiscal 2026, with plans for significant funding increases above $55 million.
- In the House Armed Services Committee's (HASC) defense bill proposal, TacSRT's funding will be solidified and expanded for fiscal 2026, while the Senate Appropriations Committee seeks to add $55 million for TacSRT in the same fiscal year.
- Lawmakers are advocating for the Pentagon to utilize commercial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites more extensively within TacSRT, and to develop hybrid commercial-military terminals on aircraft to support TacSRT missions.
- The push for TacSRT's expansion includes addressingspace launch capabilities, with the Senate mandating heavy-lift launch capacity, such as SpaceX Starship, to quickly deploy large or constellations of payloads like those supporting TacSRT and Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) operations.
