Issue Brief: New Priorities and Long-Term Developments Toward a New Architecture

The United States Space Force continues to grow for fiscal year (FY) 2024. The increase in the budget over time reflects both growth in defense space spending and the consolidation of defense space activity under the Space Force. The FY 2023 request highlights notable programs and trends as part of the transition to a new defense space architecture. Recent changes in the budget reflect the department’s push toward more spacecraft in lower orbits, which, along with next-generation systems for nuclear command and control, make up the bulk of the Space Force research and development investments for this year and projected outyears.