The Space Force spent nearly $124 million on commercial space data and services between 2023 and 2025—and a little known interagency working group could help facilitate even more data buys going forward.
A new Government Accountability Office report tracked Space Force, National Reconnaissance Office, and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency purchases of space data and services from private sector firms between January 2023 and September 2025. This includes things like imagery and electro-optical observations as well as analytic reports and services that allow the agencies to identify potential positioning, navigation, and timing interference.
The Space Force uses a contractor-run platform called the Global Data Marketplace to buy much of its commercial data. GAO found that the Joint Commercial Operations cell— a U.S. Space Command-managed organization—was the largest purchaser during the time frame it tracked, accounting for about 62 percent of its spending, or $76 million.
System Delta 810, which delivers space-based sensing and targeting capabilities, bought about $35 million through the marketplace during that time frame, and other Pentagon organizations purchased around $4.6 million.
Because NRO and NGA budgets are classified, GAO couldn’t provide detailed spending information. However, it found that the NRO spent an average of between $300 million and $500 million annually during those years, and the NGA an average of between $25 million and $125 million—specifically for commercial analytic products like aeronautical, maritime, and topographical imagery.
Congress directed the report in the Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act amid concerns that the Defense Department wasn’t investing enough in commercial data and services. While all three organizations have emphasized a need to better leverage commercial capabilities, lawmakers have pushed for more investment. In fact, the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal ‘27 defense policy bill included several provisions calling on the Space Force to integrate more commercial data and transition more demonstrations into operational programs.
The White House has also emphasized the need to buy more commercial products instead of bespoke military solutions, issuing a December 2025 executive order that identified commercial integration as key to building a resilient space architecture.
Of note, GAO’s report focused specifically on commercial data and analytic services, which doesn’t encompass the full range of commercial technology or systems that the Space Force may leverage. The service has said its fiscal ‘27 budget request includes more than $2.5 billion in commercial capabilities and services across a number of programs.
One potential barrier to the Space Force better incorporating commercially available data is a lack of understanding within some organizations about how to purchase it and the regulations that govern its use. GAO found that, for example, some Space Force offices were unaware they could access licensed data that was purchased by the Joint Commercial Operations cell and others had concerns about data availability and cost.
“These challenges led to hesitation to purchase and use commercial data among some potential users,” GAO said.
The watchdog report found that a little-known organization called the Cross-Government Commercial Data Sharing Working Group, composed of various DOD offices and other federal agencies, meets regularly to discuss options for data sharing, address issues and concerns from user groups, and even to coordinate data buys. However, GAO said, many of the offices that could benefit from this group were unaware it exists.
“While the working group operates regularly and has increased collaboration among agencies that already purchase commercial space data, some Space Force officials were not aware of its existence,” the report stated. “We reviewed Space Force public websites, publicly accessible JCO presentations, and Intelink, an internal government website, for information about the informal working group and did not find this information.”
The Space Force acknowledged the need for better visibility and concurred with a GAO recommendation that it raise awareness about the group.