Air Force says Space Development Agency should be in the Space Force now, not later -...

Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett is pushing back on a Defense Department proposal that would delay transferring the Space Development Agency to the Space Force until October 2022.

In a May 6 memo to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Barrett said the Space Development Agency — which is currently a Pentagon agency under the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering — should be part of the Space Force “as soon as possible.”

As secretary of the Air Force, Barrett also serves as the top civilian leader of the Space Force. In the memo, a copy of which was obtained by SpaceNews, Barrett argues that DoD space programs and investments should be integrated under the Space Force sooner rather than later.