Defense Department and US Strategic Command signed the Combined Space Operations (CSpO) Initiative—a memorandum of understanding with Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom—during a meeting in Ottawa, Canada, on Tuesday. The goal is to strengthen the nations against threats, ensure continued access to space, and maximize their collective resources, according to a Pentagon release. “Coalitions and partnerships represent a necessary step within national security that increases transparency, strengthens deterrence, improves mission assurance, enhances resilience, and optimizes resources across participating nations,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Douglas Loverro. The program’s main objectives are to provide timely and accurate notification of potential threats in space; provide support to partners’ space operations; and to protect and defend “space capabilities while maintaining appropriate levels of readiness,” Loverro said. In addition, the partnership will improve military-to-military relationships, support global space capacity, and promote a better understanding of current and future space landscapes.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
