One Small Step for Space Acquisition Doctrine
moderate alignment between sentiment and initial tenet alignment, which required in-depth data analysis to determine final alignment strength. Finally, Question 18 is discussed due to its extremely low
sentiment. Question 7
Positive and neutral sentiment, collectively referred to hereafter as “sentiment,” was measured at a combined 95% and, with an 80% average initial alignment, indicated strong overall alignment with Tenet 1 (Figure 15). The tenet focuses on using existing technology to shorten technology development times. Further, minimizing nonrecurring engineering (NRE)—the one-time cost for research, design, development, and test—and incremental delivery were stressed. By examining the themes found in Figure 16, it is evident that the use of COTS technology, agile and iterative development, and robust systems engineering all indicate strong alignment with the principles found in the tenet.
FIGURE 15. TENET 1 AND QUESTION 7 SENTIMENT AND ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS
Question 7 How does your organization approach the design and development of technology (e.g., use of Commercial off-the-Shelf (COTS), modularity, small distributed systems, Kanban, etc.)? What are the benefits to using this approach? Build smaller satellites in order to shorten development timelines from many years to just a couple. Use existing technology and designs to minimize nonrecurring engineering and shorten development schedules. This will have the additional benefit of accelerating technology refresh as well. Acquire ground and software-intensive systems in smaller, more manageable pieces that can be delivered faster.
Tenet 1: Build Smaller Satellites, Smaller Ground Systems, and Minimize Nonrecurring Engineering
Positive Avg 70%
Neutral Avg 25%
Negative Avg 6%
GPT 80%
Claude 80%
Avg 80%
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Defense ARJ, Summer 2025, Vol. 32 No. 2: 132—193
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