The National Security Space Association (NSSA) is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 833210801) based in Arlington, Virginia in the United States of America.[1] It describes its mission as guiding communication, strategy, and education of "national security space advancement" and related topics, such as educating and lobbying the United States Congress on matters related to national security and space domain awareness.[2] The NSSA was formed in August 2019.[3] The NSSA specifies on their website that their focus is on military and intelligence support related to Title 10 and Title 50 areas of United States law.[1]
U.S. Space Command deputy commander Lt. Gen. John Shaw recently delivered a keynote address at the National Security Space Association's 2023 Defense and Industry Space Conference on Jan. 24, 2023.
In 2020, the NSSA called on the United States government to reform "space security policy, practices and governance structures."[7] The NSSA specifically cited that present rules around classification prevented military and intelligence agencies from reliably sharing information about threats to Earth from space or to defend satellites.[7] The NSSA said of current rules, that they "...are creating unnecessary challenges to the efficient and effective conduct of the national security space program."[7] The NSSA added, "As a result, the U.S. government is denying itself access to new ideas, technology, capabilities and applications."[7] In the same year, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation endorsed the NSSAs governmental policy whitepaper, "Establish Governance and Align Security Policies and Programs to Enable U.S. National Security Space Missions."[8][9]
At the 2021 Government & Defense Conference held annually by investment firm Baird, KBR's Byron Bright, along with Joe Dodd of LinQuest, Kay Sears of Lockheed Martin, HawkEye 360 CEO John Serafini and Loverro Consulting's Douglas Loverro provided updates on the state of the space industry at a panel discussion about the National Security Space Association.[10] Partnered with the United States Space Force and Space Systems Command, the NSSA held its inaugural International Security Space Forum on October 24 with the Aerospace Corporation.[11]
On March 12, 2024, the NSSA held a declassified hearing with Sean M. Kirkpatrick, former director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) to discuss the 2024 AARO report on unidentified anomalous phenomenon and unidentified flying objects.[12] In May 2024, attention was drawn to an advisory letter from the NSSA citing deficiencies in the US Space Force budget proposed by the administration of United States PresidentJoe Biden, and concerns the USA may cede leadership in space-related affairs to China due to a reduction in Space Forces budget.[13][14] The Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, a public benefit scientific and educational charity focused on Global Positioning System (GPS) related issues, highlighted and called attention to NSSA research in July 2024 about rapidly evolving geopolitical threats from American adversaries targeting critical GPS infrastructure, in the form of "navigation warfare asymmetry."[15] In July 2024, Colonel Robert Davis of the United States Space Systems Command (SSC) and Space Development Agency (SDA), and head of the SSC's Space Sensing Directorate, discussed with the NSSA issues related to radiation hardening of satellite constellations used for missile warning systems.[16] A series of research publications by NSSA in October 2024 were released, detailing perceived budget shortfalls in the United States Space Force.[17] In the releases, NSSA called for an almost doubling of Space Force's budget, based on concerns of the US falling further behind both Russia and China in terms of space-based activities in orbit, cislunar activities, and related support and logistical operations.[17] The United States National Space Intelligence Center held a classified briefing in December 2024 hosted by the NSSA at Lockheed Martin in Virginia, related to orbital counterspace engagements for high-value US government satellite systems.[18]
NSSA leadership
Board of Advisors
As of March, 2024 the NSSAs Board of Advisors included:[19]
Major General Donald G. Hard, United States Air Force (Ret), former director of Space and Strategic Defense Initiative Programs, Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition
