WASHINGTON - Two Trump administration nominees for top national security space jobs told lawmakers they're big fans of buying commercial tech and speeding up acquisitions, which is roughly the space equivalent of a politician saying they support puppies and freedom.
Erich Hernandez-Baquero, tapped to become the Air Force's top civilian space acquisition official, and Roger Mason, the president's pick to lead the National Reconnaissance Office, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 14. Hernandez-Baquero would oversee Space Systems Command, the Space Development Agency, and a new group of Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) who control broad mission areas instead of individual programs - a reorganization that sounds suspiciously like common sense.
The position has been vacant since Frank Calvelli left in January 2025. Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy acted as assistant secretary for a year, then Thomas Ainsworth took over in January 2026. Mason would replace Christopher Scolese, who left the NRO on July 10 after running the spy satellite agency since 2019. William Adkins is holding down the fort as acting director.
Mason previously appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 2, because the NRO is both a Defense Department agency and an intelligence community element - giving two committees the joy of reviewing the same nomination.
Tuesday's hearing included questions about military space procurement, commercial satellites, and intelligence systems, but was largely hijacked by Pentagon comptroller nominee Jules Hurst's discussion of the supplemental budget and military operations against Iran. The space nominees got comparatively little airtime, which is either a blessing or a sign that senators had more pressing concerns.
Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the committee's top Democrat, pressed Mason on the shifting division of labor between the NRO and Space Force as airborne and ground moving-target surveillance moves to satellites. The Space Force handles operations, while the NRO provides tech and acquisition expertise. Reed worried the spy agency might get dragged into near-term military needs at the expense of its broader intelligence mission.
Mason assured him the roles are clear, calling their work on moving-target systems "a case of good governance" and "an example of adapting technology instead of starting a brand new program." He pointed to the Ground Moving Target Indicator program, which adapted NRO tech rather than building from scratch, and said the Air Moving Target Indicator program was transitioning to the Space Force, which is buying the tracking satellites.
Hernandez-Baquero also flagged space-based AMTI as a priority, saying the sensors would track aircraft from orbit and feed targeting networks. He advocated building on existing capabilities and using the Space Force's new acquisition structure to move quickly.
Commercial space was another theme, with lawmakers questioning whether the Pentagon's stated love for commercial products translates into actual contracts. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, noted that Pentagon commercial spending fell by about 1% despite laws and an executive order pushing a "commercial first" approach.
Mason said commercial systems shouldn't be treated as mere supplements to government satellites. "The commercial element is an essential, integrated part of the architecture," he declared. He said the NRO's next-generation architecture would combine proliferated constellations of small satellites, large specialized spacecraft, and commercial capabilities - and that the agency would need to protect sensitive tech as it partners with private companies.
Hernandez-Baquero warned that the U.S. must accelerate military space programs as adversaries expand anti-satellite capabilities. If confirmed, his priorities would be acquisition reform, integration across missions, and rebuilding the acquisition workforce. He called for more commercial tech, new business models, and broader authority for PAEs.
The Space Force is reorganizing around PAEs who control groups of related programs and cross-functional teams, allowing trade-offs across entire missions rather than managing each satellite or ground system separately. Hernandez-Baquero said he'd use the structure to test end-to-end capabilities earlier and more frequently, reducing the risk that components fail to work together after years of separate development. He also promised to "personally coach and mentor every PAE," which sounds either inspiring or terrifying.
He identified long-running legacy acquisitions not built with modern digital engineering tools as his biggest concern. If confirmed, one of his first actions would be to review those programs' cost, schedule, and technical risks.
The hearing also touched on Golden Dome, the Trump administration's proposed missile-defense system. Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, questioned whether space-based interceptors could provide enough military value to justify unclear costs. Hernandez-Baquero said he hadn't been briefed on details but would work with the program manager to ensure space components are scalable and affordable.
Mason, meanwhile, said artificial intelligence is necessary to process the growing volume of data from government and commercial satellites. The government "cannot do what it needs without AI," he said, adding that it requires appropriate risk management - because what could possibly go wrong?
Hernandez-Baquero warned that more military satellite deployments would strain U.S. launch sites. He suggested multiyear procurement agreements and other incentives to encourage companies to invest in launch infrastructure, production facilities, and satellite manufacturing capacity. In other words: spend money to make (and launch) things.