General B. Chance Saltzman

Stories

SpaceX builds out a U.S. defense satellite constellation

As of June 2026: Overseeing military satellite buildout

On June 7, a Falcon 9 rose from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California carrying 23 satellites. Two were Starshield, the military version of Starlink. SpaceX said so out loud, which it rarely does.

Updated Jun 7

The Space Force infrastructure race

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Leading Space Force transformation since 2022

The Space Force just started ripping out 1970s-era network equipment at 14 bases nationwide, racing to install zero-trust cybersecurity before adversaries can blind America's satellites. CACI won the $212 million job (77% below the government's estimate) to upgrade both classified and unclassified networks as cyber incidents targeting space systems surged 118% in 2025. It's the biggest bet yet that software-defined networks can stop what's coming.

Updated May 19

Notable Quotes

Saltzman has argued that resilience in orbit now comes from numbers, not from a handful of large satellites.

from SpaceX builds out a U.S. defense satellite constellation · Updated Jun 7

China's anti-satellite weapons are a 'compounding problem we have to figure out' as their capabilities expand across multiple orbital regimes.

from The Space Force infrastructure race · Updated May 19