challenged by small nontraditional contractors because government teams utilize user feedback to de- velop and simplify requirements and lower barriers to entry. Contractor proposals for software acquisitions are no longer documents but actual software applications that showcase their capabilities. Poorly designed software without the user in mind is difficult and costly to maintain over its life cycle, leading to higher long-term costs and techni- cal debt. Suboptimal software ham- pers day-to-day operations, leading to inefficiencies and reduced mission effectiveness. The ESS Mission Planning acquisi- tion strategy aims at burning down the inherent risk involved with software acquisition by placing the responsi- bility on contractors to prove through demonstrated performance their abil- ity to meet the intended end state. Implementation of agile software practices was crucial in developing the user-driven system. This meth- odology emphasizes iterative devel- opment, continuous user feedback, and robust security measures from the foundation of the software ap- plication. By incorporating Agile, the ESS Mission Planning acquisition team quickly adapts to changing re- quirements and delivers functional
software in shorter cycles. Agile prac- tices are included in every step of the acquisition life-cycle process—with testers, integrators, sustainers, opera- tors, and planners all involved during iterative development and deploy- ment. To implement Agile best practices as part of each contract, the ESS pro- gram office deliberately hired and developed Supra Coders within the Ground segment. These government acquisition professionals are trained and steeped in software coding and can write better software require- ments and demonstration scenarios, advise on best practices, choose bet- ter prototypes, and oversee and test software prototypes. ESS Chief Engineer Conrad Chong built the entire framework for Phase 1 of Mission Planning prototyping de- monstrations over a weekend before handing over the software baseline to our Johns Hopkins partners to build out the prototype demonstra- tion scenario given to Phase 1 defense contractor teams. It became impera- tive to the success of the program to have government individuals within the program office that were experts in software and Agile best practices. Conclusion The ESS Mission Planning soft- ware acquisition is emblematic of the Space Force adopting a culture of change and innovation. The team spent years on requirements defini- tions, incorporated all stakehold- ers and external organizations, and implemented Agile software deve- lopment practices before any actual software coding began. The resulting acquisition strategy requires contractor teams to demon- strate their mission area knowledge, coding best practices, and technical maturation before being awarded contracts. The U.S. Space Force soft- ware acquisition of the ESS Mission Planning application demonstrates an uncharted path of innovation and flexibility based on lessons learned, thereby setting a new standard for
emerging software technological ad- vancement in the DoD. Programs need experts in software and agile best practices among their government personnel. Software pro- posals demonstrated through mission area technical proficiency are the fu- ture of U.S. Space Force software ac- quisition. BARASHA is a developmental engineer and acquisition officer currently assigned as the Materiel Leader for Strategic SATCOM Ground. She has been a pioneer in the utilization of the Software Acquisition Pathway to deliver an innovative and resilient next-generation NC3 ground architecture. Barasha transition- ed from the Air Force to the USSF in 2021 and is a graduate of the University of Colorado’s Air Force ROTC and the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. JUNG is the chief of Ground Futures and Mis- sion Planning Integrated Product Team leader for Evolved Strategic SATCOM, developing NC3 and GRIFFON. He is an inter-Service transfer from the U.S. Army where he served as a Field Artillery Officer. He is a graduate of the New Mexico Military Institute and holds a B.S. in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Mili- tary Academy West Point. CHONG is the chief engineer for the Strategic Satellite Communications Acquisition Delta. Before joining the USSF, he served in the U.S. Navy as the Foreign Military Sales project manager and technical director providing secure coalition communications vital to the U.S. Embassy in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Com- mand and the Indian Navy. He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. The authors can be contacted at laila.barasha@spaceforce.mil ;
samuel.jung@spaceforce.mil ; and conrad.chong@spaceforce.mil .
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and not the Department of Defense. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
DAU Resources • Let’s Talk Agile: The Future of Space Force Software Acquisition (webinar) • Software Acquisition Resources website
March-April 2025 | DEFENSE ACQUISITION | 53
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