U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley has commissioned a study to develop the organizational structure for a new office that will support him in his role as the executive agent for space, according to a Dec. 16 memorandum posted on the National Security Space Office (NSSO) website.
Three Pentagon space offices were combined in 2004 to form the NSSO, which has served as a coordinating body for civil government, military and commercial space activities. Donley in August announced changes to the Air Force’s organizational structure for space programs, moving existing NSSO personnel to support Richard McKinney, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space programs.
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn in November dissolved the NSSO, reaffirmed Donley as the executive agent for space, created the Defense Space Council that Donley will chair, and established a new office to support Donley and the Defense Space Council, the memorandum said. Until this new office is established, NSSO personnel will remain under McKinney, it said.
