WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force spent nearly $124 million through its commercial data marketplace over less than three years, according to a new government audit of the military’s growing use of privately collected space data and analytics.
The Government Accountability Office report released Aug. 27 found that Space Force organizations spent $123.9 million through the Global Data Marketplace, or GDM, from January 2023 through September 2025. The purchases supported missions ranging from tracking satellites in orbit to detecting GPS interference and supplying commercial imagery and analysis to combatant commands.
The report also found that the Pentagon has yet to fully organize how it buys, shares and reuses commercial data. Licensing costs, uncertainty about data rights and long-term access, and limited visibility into purchases made by other organizations have discouraged some Space Force officials from using commercial products, GAO said.
The findings provide a window into how the Space Force is putting its stated “commercial first” approach into practice as commercial sensing companies seek a larger role in military operations.
The Joint Commercial Operations Cell, or JCO, accounted for $76.8 million, or 62% of Space Force purchases through GDM during the period reviewed by GAO. System Delta 810 for environmental and tactical surveillance spent another $35.6 million, or 29%.
