WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee’s draft fiscal 2027 defense policy bill would eliminate the Space Development Agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office as standalone organizations, aligning with the Pentagon’s plan to reorganize Space Force acquisition programs under Portfolio Acquisition Executives.
The committee is scheduled to debate the proposed National Defense Authorization Act on June 4 before the legislation moves to the full House and eventually into negotiations with the Senate over a final compromise bill.
The proposed changes align with the reorganization of Department of the Air Force acquisition programs around Portfolio Acquisition Executives, or PAEs, senior officials responsible for managing broad mission portfolios rather than individual programs.
The Space Development Agency, created in 2019, and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, established in 2018, were both set up to accelerate space procurement outside the traditional military acquisition system. They have operated under separate authorities within the Space Force and have been widely backed by both Congress and the Pentagon for their ability to rapidly field satellites and related technologies.
