Pentagon buyer: We're happy with our launch industry, but payloads are lagging

Here's something that caught my attention — while the Pentagon's Space Force is pretty happy with its launch industry, payloads are falling behind. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, as reported by Stephen Clark in TechCrunch, highlighted that the military prefers supporting startups working on new space sensors over pouring more money into launching rockets. So, it’s not about adding more launch providers, but about boosting payload innovation. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — Purdy pointed out the Pentagon’s shift toward high-volume production, aiming for more reliable, mass-produced solutions instead of cutting-edge tech. But here's the thing — this shift means the military might be losing some of its tools for diversifying the space industrial base, which could impact future flexibility. According to Clark, the focus is really on supporting the industrial ecosystem that delivers payloads, rather than just launch capacity. That’s a pretty big pivot, and it’ll be fascinating to see how this plays out in the coming years — especially for anyone invested in space tech.