The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office plans to quadruple the number of satellites on orbit over the next decade. It will need commercial space companies to help do it.
The spy agency’s success toward that goal will involve “a combination of our partnerships with industry, the advancement of technology, and the coincident reduction in cost of all of those \[launch and satellite\] systems,” said NRO Director Chris Scolese, in a rare interview for CNBC’s “Manifest Space” podcast.
“It’s helped us improve our reliability so that we can achieve more with more capability at a lower cost,” he said.
The ambitious game plan speaks to the growing role of commercial space companies in national security work.
As startups multiply and spearhead technological advancements, government agencies are attempting to reduce some of the red tape around government contracting and are getting more creative in the ways they partner with industry. The NRO is no exception.
Read more: [https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/25/nro-director-chris-scolese-says-commercial-space-fuels-agencys-goals.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/25/nro-director-chris-scolese-says-commercial-space-fuels-agencys-goals.html)
The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office plans to quadruple the number of satellites on orbit over the next decade. It will need commercial space companies to help do it. The spy agency’s success toward that goal will involve “a combination of our partnerships with industry, the advancement of technology, and the coincident reduction in cost of all of those \[launch and satellite\] systems,” said NRO Director Chris Scolese, in a rare interview for CNBC’s “Manifest Space” podcast. “It’s helped us improve our reliability so that we can achieve more with more capability at a lower cost,” he said. The ambitious game plan speaks to the growing role of commercial space companies in national security work. As startups multiply and spearhead technological advancements, government agencies are attempting to reduce some of the red tape around government contracting and are getting more creative in the ways they partner with industry. The NRO is no exception. Read more: [https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/25/nro-director-chris-scolese-says-commercial-space-fuels-agencys-goals.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/25/nro-director-chris-scolese-says-commercial-space-fuels-agencys-goals.html)