WASHINGTON — Trump administration nominees for two influential U.S. national security space posts endorsed closer coordination between the Space Force and intelligence agencies while calling for wider use of commercial technology and faster action on acquisition programs.
Erich Hernandez-Baquero, nominated to become the Air Force’s top civilian space acquisition official, and Roger Mason, the president’s choice to lead the National Reconnaissance Office, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee July 14.
If confirmed, Hernandez-Baquero would oversee the Department of the Air Force’s space acquisition enterprise, including Space Systems Command, the Space Development Agency and a newly established group of Portfolio Acquisition Executives responsible for broad mission areas rather than individual programs.
The position has been vacant since Frank Calvelli left the government in January 2025. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy served as acting assistant secretary for the following year, before Thomas Ainsworth began performing the duties of the office in January 2026.Mason would replace Christopher Scolese, who left the NRO on July 10 after leading the intelligence agency since 2019. William Adkins, the agency’s principal deputy director, is performing the director’s duties pending confirmation of a successor.
