The plan, known as the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, or CASR, would allow the U.S. Space Force to use the capabilities of the commercial space sector through "pre-negotiated contractual agreements which would be activated in times of crisis or conflict," according to the service's "Commercial Space Strategy" document, which was released in April 2024, Space reported.
Such a plan would combine military, commercial and civil satellites operated by the United States and its allies into one "hybrid space architecture," as the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit refers to it.
CASR just moved closer to becoming a reality. Just this week, the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee released a draft of its policy language for the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (the laws that allocate military spending) that signals its approval for the plan, according to Breaking Defense. The House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee oversees nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and national security space programs.
The subcommittee's approval directs the Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall to conduct a study on how commercial insurance might be able to protect the "contractors providing support services" to the U.S. government under the CASR plan.
Generally speaking, that means Congress wants to know who foots the bill if an adversarial nation were to disable or destroy private satellites that had been commandeered or used by Space Force during a conflict.
SD/PR