Erich Hernandez-Baquero testifies in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Credit: SASC livestream
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Aug. 7 confirmed Erich Hernandez-Baquero to oversee military space acquisition and Roger Mason to lead the National Reconnaissance Office, putting two industry veterans in charge of major parts of the U.S. national security space enterprise as Washington accelerates spending on satellites and overhauls how it buys them.
Hernandez-Baquero and Mason were among a large group of civilian nominees confirmed by a 51-47 vote. Their approvals came a day after the Senate confirmed Gen. Douglas Schiess to be a four-star general and the next chief of space operations.
Together, the confirmations install new leaders at three organizations responsible for defining military space requirements, acquiring Space Force systems and operating the nation’s intelligence satellites.
Hernandez-Baquero becomes assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, making him the senior civilian official responsible for much of the Space Force’s acquisition enterprise. He takes office as the service seeks a record $71.1 billion fiscal 2027 budget and reorganizes acquisition programs around mission-focused Portfolio Acquisition Executives, or PAEs, intended to push authority closer to the officials responsible for delivering operational capability.
