The Role of the Commercial Space Federation

The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) serves as a voice for the U.S. commercial space industry in Washington, D.C., representing more than 85 member organizations that span sectors from launch providers to space situational awareness companies. As a consensus-driven trade association, CSF advocates for policies that support a competitive and innovative commercial space ecosystem.

Its mission centers on encouraging the U.S. government to integrate commercial space solutions wherever feasible—urging civil, defense, and intelligence agencies to buy from domestic space companies instead of building duplicative in-house systems. This advocacy is aimed not only at maintaining U.S. space leadership but also at fostering a resilient industrial base and supporting economic and national security.

CSF’s reach extends from Capitol Hill to federal agencies, where it often contributes expert advice on space policy and regulation. CSF President Dave Cavossa regularly testifies before Congressional committees, and the organization plays a key role in developing federal legislation, providing comments on rulemakings, and participating in advisory panels.

CSF’s Expanding Council Structure

To advance specific areas of the commercial space economy, CSF operates a series of specialized councils:

• Launch and Reentry – Focused on FAA regulatory streamlining and leadership in orbital access.
• Commercial Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) – Supporting the transition to a commercially sustained LEO ecosystem.
• Space Exploration – Advocating for integration of commercial players in civil and deep-space missions.
• Spaceports and Infrastructure – Addressing infrastructure gaps and spaceport development policy.
• Remote Sensing and Analytics – Aiming to expand Earth observation data use and improve licensing.
• Satellite and SSA – Targeting orbital debris policy, traffic management, and spectrum concerns.

Each council provides a forum to develop policy recommendations, coordinate responses to federal actions, and highlight member concerns to lawmakers and regulators.

Introducing the Space Supply Chain Council (S2C2)

On June 3, 2025, CSF announced the formation of a new industry council: the Space Supply Chain Council (S2C2). This move comes amid shifting trade policies and mounting concerns over industrial base stability, particularly in the face of increased geopolitical tension and rising demand for space infrastructure.

According to CSF, the S2C2 will “define industry sector priorities, recommend policy positions, and provide updates on specific topics that impact CSF members.” It brings together component manufacturers, assembly and integration firms, software providers, and logistics companies—groups that play a vital but often underrepresented role in enabling space missions.

In a press release announcing the council, Dave Cavossa emphasized the importance of such representation:

“We look forward to working alongside the Administration, Congress, and government agencies to support evolving trade policy initiatives, while simultaneously representing the interests of the providers so vital to the U.S commercial space economy.”

Industry Participation and Priorities

The S2C2 launched with participation from several key players:

• Applied Aerospace, which designs and manufactures precision structures and subsystems for spacecraft, launch vehicles, and communications platforms.
• Stratasys, a leader in additive manufacturing, offering 3D printing solutions widely used in aerospace and defense.
• National Air Cargo, a global logistics company whose airline division operates a fleet of wide-body freighters and passenger aircraft to support space and defense operations.

Together, these members represent different but interconnected segments of the supply chain. Their inclusion reflects the council’s aim to identify systemic bottlenecks, align with federal industrial policy, and improve resilience across the sector.

By broadening CSF’s council structure to include supply chain stakeholders, the organization is acknowledging that launch vehicles and satellites depend on a complex web of suppliers—many of which face increasing regulatory, trade, and manufacturing pressures.

Looking Ahead: Trade Policy, Industrial Base, and Growth

The launch of S2C2 comes at a time when U.S. policy on space and trade is in flux. Changes under the current administration, including shifts in export controls and industrial policy, have prompted commercial space companies to reassess how they source critical components and maintain operational agility.

CSF has long argued that the government should send stable demand signals, use multi-year funding mechanisms, and rely more heavily on commercial procurement tools. These positions are especially relevant for supply chain companies, which often require long lead times and capital-intensive production cycles.

The S2C2 is expected to help shape CSF’s broader policy agenda on supply chain issues, such as:

• Identifying and mitigating single points of failure in domestic manufacturing
• Advocating for inclusion of space suppliers in government industrial base assessments
• Supporting the creation of programs to scale up next-generation manufacturing techniques
• Ensuring trade policies do not unintentionally restrict access to commercial space markets

Final Thoughts

The formation of the Space Supply Chain Council marks a strategic expansion of the Commercial Space Federation’s efforts to support the full spectrum of the commercial space economy in America. By bringing supply chain voices to the table, CSF aims to build a more complete and coordinated advocacy platform—one that reflects the interdependence of manufacturers, transport providers, software developers, and integrators in delivering space systems.

As CSF continues to engage with lawmakers and agencies, the S2C2 will serve as a conduit for surfacing the needs of the industrial base that supports U.S. spaceflight. In doing so, it positions the commercial space sector to adapt to policy shifts, secure its infrastructure, and remain globally competitive.

• ispace’s RESILIENCE lander has successfully entered lunar orbit ahead of a scheduled landing attempt on June 6, 2025, marking a key step in the company’s commercial lunar exploration program.
• Launched in January 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, RESILIENCE traveled over 1 million kilometers using a low-energy transfer orbit and completed several propulsion and navigation milestones en route to the Moon.
• The Mission 2 SMBC x HAKUTO-R effort aims to validate ispace’s lunar transportation capabilities and follows a 2023 crash, with final orbital precision and landing readiness currently under review.

A Japanese-built lunar lander has successfully entered circular orbit around the Moon, setting the stage for a landing attempt early next month.

The RESILIENCE lander, operated by Tokyo-based ispace, executed a controlled orbital maneuver on May 28, 2025, according to the company. Final confirmation of its trajectory is still underway, but the maneuver places the spacecraft in a stable position ahead of its planned descent to the lunar surface. The precise orbit is being verified by engineers at ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission Control Center in Tokyo, with the possibility of further adjustments depending on mission needs.

RESILIENCE was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in January 2025 and has since traveled more than a million kilometers from Earth on a low-energy transfer orbit. The spacecraft performed a lunar flyby and a series of deep-space maneuvers to return to the Moon, the company said in its latest update. These steps tested its propulsion, guidance, and navigation systems, confirming the spacecraft’s operational integrity across varying mission phases, according to data released by ispace.

The ongoing mission, formally known as Mission 2 SMBC x HAKUTO-R, is part of a broader effort by ispace to establish a commercial lunar transportation infrastructure.

This current mission has already passed several milestones, including successful deployment from the launch vehicle, completion of Earth orbit, a verified lunar flyby, and completion of its long-duration transfer route, according to ispace. The lunar orbital insertion now positions the spacecraft for its landing sequence.

A live broadcast of the landing attempt is scheduled for June 6, 2025 (JST), with international viewers able to access the stream with English translation.

While a final determination on orbital precision is still pending, ispace officials say the mission has performed to expectations thus far. Future updates are expected to confirm readiness for descent, concluding what has been a deliberate and methodical approach to reaching the lunar surface.

• Sierra Space has been awarded a NASA contract under NextSTEP-2 Appendix R to study the use of its expandable space station technology for lunar surface logistics and mobility in support of NASA’s moon to Mars strategy.
• The study will explore applications of Sierra Space’s LIFE® habitat and related systems for functions including tunnel construction, goods tracking, trash management, and integrated habitation on the lunar surface.
• Building on recent hypervelocity impact tests and prior design work on lunar systems, Sierra Space aims to deliver scalable infrastructure solutions for sustained human presence on the Moon.

PRESS RELEASE –Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and defense tech prime that is building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth, announced it has won a significant contract from NASA to study the use of Sierra Space’s expandable space station technology on the moon. The purpose of this contract will be to ultimately develop innovative solutions for lunar surface logistics and mobility supporting NASA’s moon to Mars Architecture.

The contract, under the NextSTEP-2 Appendix R for Lunar Logistics and Mobility Studies, positions Sierra Space at the forefront of verticals including logistical carriers; logistics transfer; staging, storage, and tracking; trash management; and integrated strategies. This includes everything from the potential use of Sierra Space’s inflatable LIFE^® habitat technology for tunnels around a moon base to tracking and storage of goods on the moon, as well as integration of the entire framework for habitation on the lunar surface.

“We believe our expandable softgoods space station technology can thrive in low-Earth orbit for commercial uses and for deep space exploration with NASA,” said Dr. Tom Marshburn, Chief Astronaut and Vice President of Human Factors Engineering at Sierra Space. “Sierra Space is able to leverage existing technologies to deliver robust and scalable solutions that support both near-term and long-term mission objectives on the moon. We’ve developed a versatile technology with our expandable habitation products that we feel supports NASA’s moon to Mars goals.”

Sierra Space has in-depth insight into NASA’s lunar plans through analysis and design work performed for lunar landers, lunar rovers, lunar habitats and ongoing work supporting providers of human landing systems, lunar terrain vehicles and lunar pressurized rovers. These are all key elements for designing an architecture for sustained habitation on the moon.

Notably in April, Sierra Space announced the completion of successful hypervelocity impact trials conducted at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to optimize the structural integrity of Sierra Space’s LIFE habitat space station technology. This included the use of NASA’s .50 caliber two-stage light gas gun to replicate micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) impacts to LIFE’s outer shield, to prepare the space station of use in orbit.

• The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $509.7 million contract to build GPS IIIF satellites 21 and 22, pushing the program’s total value past $4.1 billion.
• GPS IIIF enhances navigation capabilities with 60x anti-jamming resistance, new search and rescue functions, and a fully digital payload; SV08, the final GPS III satellite, will launch in 2025 as the program transitions.
• Lockheed Martin has completed major assembly on the first four GPS IIIF satellites, with launches scheduled to begin in 2027 to support global coverage and replace aging infrastructure.

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a $509.7 million contract to build two more Global Positioning System III Follow-On (GPS IIIF) satellites, extending the company’s production line and pushing the total value of the program past $4.1 billion, according to the DOD.

The contract modification covers GPS IIIF Space Vehicles 21 and 22 and obligates more than $55 million in fiscal 2025 missile procurement funds at the time of award. The additional units are part of a long-term effort by the U.S. military to maintain and enhance the country’s GPS constellation, which provides positioning, navigation, and timing data to both military and civilian users worldwide. Work will continue at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Littleton, Colorado, with delivery expected by late 2031.

The contract comes as Lockheed Martin prepares to launch GPS III SV08, the eighth satellite in the current block, from Cape Canaveral in 2025, according to Lockheed Martin. Shipped in early April from Colorado via a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft, the spacecraft was deployed on short notice to meet mission requirements, highlighting a shift toward faster, more responsive deployment timelines.

“With each GPS III shipment and launch, America’s GPS constellation grows more resilient and accurate,” Malik Musawwir, vice president of Navigation Systems at Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement in April. “We’re proud to continue enabling this critical national security mission through both spacecraft production and maintenance of the ground control segment, bringing a seamless experience to Space Force operators.”

GPS III SV08 will join a 31-satellite constellation that supports essential services including civilian navigation, military operations, and emergency response systems. The arrival of SV08 also marks the final stages of the GPS III block before the program transitions fully to GPS IIIF, a more advanced generation with expanded capabilities, according to Lockheed Martin.

• 60X greater anti-jamming to ensure U.S. and allied forces cannot be denied access to GPS in hostile environments.
• Accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array.
• New search and rescue payload.
• Fully digital navigation payload.
• New LM2100 Combat Bus for SV13, providing increased cyber-hardening, improved spacecraft power, propulsion and electronics. Capable of hosting on-orbit upgrade ASPIN software.

The GPS IIIF satellites are designed to strengthen signal security and reliability, the company noted. Enhancements include a stronger civilian signal intended to improve commercial aviation safety and a new feature called Regional Military Protection. This system increases the satellite’s resistance to jamming by as much as 60 times in contested environments, making it significantly harder for adversaries to disrupt U.S. military operations.

Lockheed Martin has begun building the first ten GPS IIIF units, with assembly already completed on key structures for the first four. The company finished mating the core of the first GPS IIIF satellite earlier this year and anticipates launch of the new block to begin in 2027. The continued investment in GPS IIIF follows concerns over aging infrastructure, as nearly half of the current GPS constellation exceeds its intended service life.

According to the Space Systems Command, the expanded GPS fleet is intended to ensure seamless global coverage and provide a long-term upgrade path. Lockheed Martin now remains under contract for up to 22 satellites, providing a steady production cadence for the next several years.

SpaceX is targeting Friday, May 30 for a Falcon 9 launch of the GPS III-7 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to the company. The launch was originally assigned to United Launch Alliance, but was re-assigned to Space-X in April in light of Space System Command’s accelerated launch schedule.

• Northrop Grumman has invested $50 million in Firefly Aerospace to accelerate the development of their jointly built medium launch vehicle, now officially named Eclipse.
• Eclipse, based on Northrop’s Antares and Firefly’s Alpha, combines proven avionics and new propulsion systems to deliver 16 metric tons to low Earth orbit, with testing and flight hardware production already underway.
• With its debut set for 2026 from Wallops Island, Eclipse targets missions including national security launches, space station resupply, and constellation deployments across LEO, MEO, GEO, and TLI.

PRESS RELEASE – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has invested $50 million into Firefly Aerospace to further advance production of their co-developed medium launch vehicle, now known as Eclipse. The companies continue to make progress in the development of Eclipse flight hardware with qualification testing underway and more than 60 Miranda engine hot fire tests performed to date.

“Firefly is incredibly grateful for Northrop Grumman’s investment that further solidifies our first-of-its-kind partnership to build the first stage of Antares 330 and jointly develop Eclipse,” said Jason Kim, CEO of Firefly Aerospace. “Eclipse represents two powerful forces coming together to transform the launch market with decades of flight heritage, a rapid, iterative approach, and bold innovation. With a 16 metric ton to orbit capability, Eclipse is a sweet spot for programs like NSSL Lane 1 and a natural fit to launch proliferated constellations in LEO, MEO, GEO, and TLI.”

Built upon Northrop Grumman’s Antares and Firefly’s Alpha rocket, Eclipse offers a significant leap in power, performance, production cadence, and payload capacity. The launch vehicle retains the flight-proven avionics from the Antares program with additional upgrades, including a larger 5.4 meter payload fairing. Eclipse also utilizes the same first stage Firefly is developing for Antares 330 and retains scaled-up versions of Alpha’s propulsion systems and carbon composite structures, allowing the team to rapidly build and test Eclipse with significant production efficiencies and economies of scale.

Firefly utilized the same patented tap-off cycle architecture from Alpha’s Reaver and Lightning engines for Eclipse’s Miranda and Vira engines, and completed mission duty cycle with a 206 second Miranda hot fire, matching the longest time the engine will burn during a flight. Following several development test campaigns, flight hardware has been manufactured for the common dome propellant tanks, engine bay and interstage.

“Eclipse gives customers the right balance between payload capacity and affordability,” said Wendy Williams, vice president and general manager, launch and missile defense systems, Northrop Grumman. “Our partnership with Firefly builds on our capacity to provide crucial spaced-based communication, observation, and exploration for civil and national security customers.”

Filling a void in an underserved market, Eclipse is equipped to deliver 16,300 kg of cargo to low Earth orbit or 3,200 kg of cargo to geosynchronous transfer orbit. Eclipse will first launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, as early as 2026 and is able to support space station resupply, commercial spacecraft, critical national security missions and scientific payloads for the domestic and international markets.

• Iridium Communications has partnered with Syniverse to support the global rollout of its Iridium NTN Direct service, integrating the platform with Syniverse’s mobile network operator infrastructure to enable seamless global connectivity.
• The partnership enables direct-to-device and narrow-band IoT messaging across industries by leveraging Iridium’s LEO satellite constellation and Syniverse’s 3GPP-compliant mobile interoperability systems.
• Iridium NTN Direct, part of 3GPP Release 19, will begin device integration and on-air testing in 2025, with commercial device availability expected in 2026.

PRESS RELEASE –  Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice and data satellite communications, today announced a new partnership with Syniverse, the world’s most connected company^®, to support the rollout of Iridium NTN Direct^SM service with mobile network operators (MNOs) worldwide. Through this partnership, Iridium NTN Direct is integrating with Syniverse’s global platform, making it easy for MNOs to keep their customers continuously connected everywhere on the planet.

According to GSMA’s 2025 Industry Survey, 85% of MNOs planning to pursue non-terrestrial network (NTN) service are seeking a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) solution that extends their coverage globally. As part of 3GPP Release 19, Iridium NTN Direct will provide truly global, standards-based direct-to-device (D2D) and narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) messaging and SOS for consumer devices, automobiles and industrial applications in agriculture, transportation, logistics, energy and utilities.

The combination of MNO requirements and Iridium NTN Direct capabilities makes it the ideal solution. With Iridium NTN Direct, MNOs will know they have a reliable partner with a fully deployed, owned and operated satellite constellation, unmatched coverage, globally coordinated mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum, and a history of providing reliable safety of life services.

“We’re building the backbone of the global D2D movement, the right way and with the right partners as we prepare for on-air testing with MNOs and chipmakers in the coming months,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch. “The integration of Syniverse’s system with the Iridium^® network will give MNOs a simple path to expand their footprint to the entire planet.”

“Satellite networks are becoming a natural extension of the mobile ecosystem, and our role at Syniverse is to make that transition seamless,” said Andrew Davies, Chief Executive Officer of Syniverse. “By integrating Iridium NTN Direct into the global mobile framework using standards-based, carrier-grade systems, Syniverse is simplifying deployment, ensuring consistency and security, and accelerating access to non-terrestrial connectivity.”

For more than 35 years, Syniverse’s leadership in mobile interoperability and clearing services has played a key role in enabling MNO adoption for satellite integration, which includes seamless customer roaming, authentication and billing functions. Their system serves approximately 600 carrier customers directly in 170 countries worldwide and connects over 830 mobile operators with their global IPX backbone. Fully 3GPP-compliant and standards-based, Syniverse ensures fast deployment, helping operators confidently unlock new markets.

Iridium NTN Direct stands out among Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) and NB-IoT services by offering MNOs an unmatched combination of truly global coverage, reliability and capability. 3GPP Release 19 is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, and the first Iridium NTN Direct connected devices are planned to be available in 2026.

• Karman Space & Defense has acquired ISP, a Utah-based small-diameter solid propellant technologies company, to expand its capabilities in UAS propulsion, intercept systems, and energetic solutions.
• ISP brings over 40 years of flight heritage, proprietary propellant formulations, and full in-house manufacturing and testing capabilities, aligning with Karman’s strategy to support DoD priorities and agile defense programs.
• The acquisition was funded through a $75 million increase to Karman’s Term Loan B facility, with the $60 million deal structured in cash, stock, and potential earnouts.

PRESS RELEASE – Karman Space & Defense (“Karman”, “Karman Holdings, Inc.” or “the Company”) (NYSE: KRMN), a leader in the rapid design, development and production of critical, next-generation system solutions for launch vehicle, satellite, spacecraft, missile defense, hypersonic and UAS customers today announced it has acquired ISP, a leader in specialty energetic propulsion technologies including small boost motors and solid propellant gas generators for the rapidly growing UAS, UAS intercept and rocket-assisted takeoff systems markets. The transaction closed on May 28, 2025.

Founded in 1983 and based in Cedar City, Utah, ISP has developed a proprietary portfolio of propellant formulations and tactical motor configurations, with proven flight heritage across a number of high-priority U.S. Department of Defense (“DOD”) programs. ISP designs, tests, qualifies and manufactures small-diameter energetic and propulsion systems to meet mission requirements for distance, total impulse, peak thrust and burn time. With the required engineering and manufacturing capabilities to take a product from concept-to-production, ISP is a proven partner to prime customers in delivering integrated energetic and propulsion systems, with more than 40 years of flight heritage.

“We have been working collaboratively with ISP on a number of exciting opportunities for many months and believe that ISP is a natural, strategic fit within the Karman portfolio,” said Tony Koblinski, Karman Chief Executive Officer. “This acquisition strengthens our core competency in energetics, expands our offering in small-diameter solid propellant technologies and will allow us to serve our customers even better. ISP’s proprietary portfolio of propellant formulations and unique manufacturing capabilities furthers Karman’s mission of leveraging advanced technologies to drive agile solutions for customers across the space and defense market. We welcome the talented ISP team to Karman and look forward to working together to deliver even more value to our customers.”

ISP leverages its leading IP portfolio and full suite of in-house, small batch manufacturing capabilities to rapidly qualify and deliver efficient, technically optimal energetic systems. ISP’s full-service capabilities include propellant and cartridge design, grain formulation, mixing, machining, cartridge loading and hot-fire testing. ISP’s propulsion expertise in small-diameter systems and cartridges and its programmatic positions are well aligned with current and future funding priorities, specifically in deployment and launch systems for one-way loitering munitions, counter-UAS and intercept systems.

Additionally, ISP has a long history of supporting STEM-based educational curricula for schools, camps, clubs and youth organizations. Empowering the next generation of energetics and propulsion engineers with tools to help them experiment, learn and launch their careers is central to ISP and highly aligned with Karman’s approach to supporting local communities and identifying top talent.

On May 27, 2025, Karman successfully closed an offering to increase the size of its existing $300 million Term Loan B by $75 million. The majority of the proceeds from this offering were used to fund the acquisition of ISP, which consisted of $50 million in cash, approximately $5 million in Karman common shares and $5 million in potential earnout payments.