What Happened?

Your tax dollars have bought tens of millions of dollars’ worth of satellite data from private companies, but some of the Space Force officials who could use it don’t know how to get it. That’s the finding of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Thursday, Aug. 27, which says the Pentagon is missing chances to use commercial space data to protect the country. ​

The Space Force spent $123.9 million on data and services from Jan. 27, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2025, through the Global Data Marketplace, a contractor-run online storefront, according to a Legis1 summary of the report. Its Joint Commercial Operations Cell accounted for $76.8 million of that, for missions including tracking objects in orbit and battlefield surveillance.

Why Does It Matter To Me?

Threats to U.S. satellites from rival countries have grown in number and intensity, GAO found, and the Pentagon is turning to private companies to help fill the gaps. Commercial satellites can see things government satellites miss, and because their data isn’t classified, it’s easier to share with allies.

That only helps if the data actually gets used. GAO said many of the problems Space Force officials raised could have been solved through a monthly working group that helps agencies share commercial data the government has already paid for. But the Space Force officials who needed it weren’t taking part, and little information about the group is publicly available.

Both Sides, Now

Some Space Force officials told GAO they held back from buying or using commercial data because of licensing costs, limits on how it can be used and doubts about whether access would last.

That last worry has a real-world example. In March 2025, the U.S. government under President Trump temporarily cut off Ukrainian users’ access to Maxar satellite imagery on a government-run platform, Reuters reported. Access was restored within days, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

What Happens Next?

The Pentagon agreed with GAO’s one recommendation: the Air Force should make sure the Space Force tells current and potential users about the working group and how to get data the government has already bought. The Pentagon says it plans to do that.

The recommendation stays open until GAO confirms the Pentagon has followed through. Members of Congress asked for the review through a Senate Armed Services Committee report.

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