WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force plans to keep the names of commercial companies participating in its new space reserve program under wraps, aiming to protect them from potential adversary threats as commercial satellites play a growing role in military operations.
Col. Richard Kniseley, director of the Space Force’s Commercial Space Office, said companies signing agreements under the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) program can disclose their participation but are not required to. “That potentially puts a target on their back,” Kniseley told SpaceNews, underscoring the risk to private-sector firms providing space-based services during wartime.
The CASR initiative, authorized by Congress after more than two years of development, is designed to establish a reserve fleet of commercial satellites and support services to augment government-owned systems in times of crisis. The program operates through pre-negotiated contracts with providers, allowing the U.S. government to secure priority access to satellite communications, surveillance, and space domain awareness services when military systems are overstretched.
Space services reserve for conflicts
On March 1, the first four companies signed CASR agreements for an initial three-month pilot program, supplying space domain awareness data to help track and analyze objects in orbit, said Kniseley. These firms will also take part in the first CASR wargames scheduled for March 25, an exercise meant to refine operational procedures.
“The pilot program is essential to execute and exercise our practices and procedures,” he said. While the companies are contracted to provide services under peacetime conditions, their agreements include ‘surge’ options and pre-priced capabilities for rapid scaling in emergencies.
However, key details surrounding CASR agreements remain unresolved. Kniseley acknowledged ongoing discussions between defense officials and industry executives on issues such as financial protection for commercial operators, service prioritization in wartime, and potential “denial of service” clauses. These provisions could require participating firms to halt services to other customers if the U.S. military calls up their capacity during a conflict.
Industry concerns over financial risk
One sticking point is the question of compensation for damaged or destroyed satellites in a conflict. Kniseley said defense policy officials are working to establish a framework that balances national security needs with the financial realities faced by commercial operators.
The decision to maintain confidentiality around CASR participants came after extensive discussions with industry leaders. “We wanted to understand from them what would make a good partnership,” Kniseley said. “A lot of the feedback that we got from industry was this may put a target on their back.”
U.S. officials have long been aware of threats to commercial satellite infrastructure, including cyberattacks. Kniseley noted that adversaries could see companies supporting military operations as strategic targets, making anonymity a necessary safeguard. However, individual companies retain the option to publicly identify themselves as CASR members if they choose.
The cost and scale of CASR contracts are still being evaluated. Kniseley said the Space Force is conducting mission area analyses to determine how much satellite capacity regional military commands — such as those in the Indo-Pacific region —will need for operations like secure communications and surveillance.
“We’re still doing that analysis, so that might be a conversation for the future,” Kniseley said.