Pentagon's Responsive Space Plan Has Problems: A Government Accountability Office study has found problems with the Pentagon's planning for a responsive space capability.
While a 2015 Department of Defense report addressed many of the responsive space requirements call for in the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, it did not include a consolidated plan for developing a responsive launch capability for quick launch of spacecraft, according to GAO researchers.
The problem seems to be one of requirements. "DoD attributes this omission to a lack of requirements for responsive launch, noting that no existing space program has them. DoD officials told us that such requirements are premature without a validated need for now responsive launch," the GAO report noted. "Officials from the United States Strategic Command added that responsive launch needs cannot be well defined at this time due to uncertainties in the threat environment, and stated that DoD will validate future responsive launch requirements once it acquires new information from intelligence and defense studies presently underway."
