The U.S. Space Force is expanding warfighter access to commercial space services by launching a new working capital fund, projected to exceed $1 billion annually, to help military users purchase services such as commercial satellite communications.
The Enterprise Space Activity Group (ESAG), activated on Oct. 1 under the Air Force Working Capital Fund (WCF), is designed to enhance support for U.S. warfighters and allied partners by integrating more commercial capabilities into military space operations. ESAG is managed by Space Systems Command’s Commercial SATCOM Communications Office (CSCO).
“This is an important milestone in integrating commercial capabilities into the architecture,” U.S. Space Force Colonel Timothy Trimailo said in an Oct. 8 announcement. “It allows us to meet the uptick in warfighter demands and enables commercial vendors more flexibility to work with the Space Force.”
The new ESAG-WCF model introduces a self-sustaining financial mechanism that doesn’t rely on annual federal appropriations. Instead, services are paid for by customers, with reimbursements recycled into the fund – a revolving structure designed to be both adaptable and audit-compliant.
The fund launched with $120 million in initial capital and is expected to support more than $1.2 billion in annual commercial satellite communications services. Currently, CSCO is the only approved program to manage this fund under the ESAG charter.
“The WCF allows enough lead time to budget for anticipated demand,” said Clare Hopper, director of SSC CSCO. “This gives us and our partners the flexibility to respond quickly and efficiently to mission requirements.”
Previously, the Defense Working Capital Fund under the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) managed such services. With CSCO’s transfer to the Space Force in 2019, the office became the sole procurement authority for commercial SATCOM services for the Department of Defense – which the Trump Administration has rebranded as the Department of War – and its partners.
Space Systems Command and CSCO spent years preparing the fund but waited for Congress to approve initial funding in the 2025 spending bill. With funding secured, several satellite communications contracts will now shift from DISA to the Space Force.
“This is a strategic advantage for the Space Force and more importantly, our warfighters,” said Hopper. “We’re looking forward to offering even more capabilities that our warfighters need and deserve to be successful.”