On September 2, 2015, Representative Rob Wittman – the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 1st congressional district – visited his constituents at the SES Space and Defense headquarters in Reston, VA.

The location – although technically located just outside of Virginia’s 1st district – was perfect for the conversation, which focused on Representative Wittman’s desire to reclaim the country’s superiority in space, while ensuring that all SATCOM needs for the United States and its military are met in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

During his visit and discussion with SES Space and Defense satellite experts, Representative Wittman elaborated on why he feels the United States needs a disaggregated, reliable, coordinated military and commercial space architecture – as well as combined oversight of space SATCOM requirements.

Representative Wittman’s concerns regarding how the U.S. government procures commercial satellite capabilities has led to him advocating for a series of acquisition reforms that will enable the DOD to more easily articulate and fund the military’s SATCOM requirements, and field systems quickly to ensure mission readiness.

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, these acquisition reforms are essential to the military and other government agencies having priority access to satellites, when necessary, while ensuring the lowest cost possible for COMSATCOM services at a time when the conversation across all government and military events continues to focus almost exclusively on budget and the potential for a looming government shutdown.

Here are some photos from Representative Wittman’s visit to the SES Space and Defense offices: