Run by Space Systems Command (SSC), the Galaxy program is a six-month initiative designed to rapidly develop early-career acquisition professionals by throwing them straight into complex real-world capability challenges.
Participants, known as Galaxy fellows, are tasked with developing solutions to operational gaps in less than six months, gaining firsthand experience delivering space capabilities at speed.
Two cohorts complete the program each year, with the next intake running from April to October 2026.
During the program, fellows spend four months tackling priority projects personally selected by SSC commander Lieutenant General Philip A Garrant.
“These are some of the toughest acquisition problems in the command,” said Captain Drake Williams, a former Galaxy fellow who now serves as program cadre. “It’s a real opportunity for junior officers and civilians to make a meaningful impact.”
Beyond project work, the program includes an intensive tour of the US defence and space ecosystem. Fellows meet with leaders across intelligence agencies, operational units, joint commands, the Pentagon, Capitol Hill and major technology firms in Silicon Valley.
Crucially, the program also exposes participants to the Space Force’s growing network of international partners, including close allies such as the Royal Australian Air Force, the United Kingdom Space Command, Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Republic of Korea Air Force.
Recent Galaxy cohorts have visited allied installations and operational hubs across the Indo-Pacific, including stops in Hawaii, Japan and South Korea to better understand how coalition space capabilities are integrated across the region.
The exposure is designed to give emerging leaders an early appreciation of how the United States and its partners collaborate in space operations.
Recent fellows have worked on projects ranging from integrating artificial intelligence into operations to expanding joint space missions and supporting advanced software development teams.
For Capt Williams, the experience was transformative. Before joining Galaxy, he worked in a large program office and sometimes felt like “a cog in the machine”. During the program, he was tasked with managing a US$20 million follow-on contract tied to an immersive digital capability.
“I was given real ownership,” he said. “If I didn’t do the work, it simply wouldn’t get done.”
Other participants said the program’s cross-service and international exposure is one of its biggest strengths.
Captain Jake Mendoza worked with the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking program to build a data analytics sandbox, a testing environment allowing new commercial analytic providers to demonstrate their capabilities before supporting operational missions.
The effort aims to bring more innovative technology companies into the defence ecosystem and speed up capability delivery.
The program’s global travel component is another major drawcard.
Captain Michael Forlife, who transferred into the Space Force from the United States Army, said visiting operational units and allied partners helped him quickly understand the broader space enterprise.
“It helped me see the full range of missions and organisations involved in space operations – and where I could contribute next,” he said.
For the latest Galaxy cohort, that exposure included visits to Indo-Pacific partners responsible for some of the world’s most critical operational theatres.
Participants said meeting the people actually running missions in those regions offered insights that can’t be gained from headquarters alone.
Eligibility for the program is limited to junior officers, second lieutenants through captains and government civilians with less than 10 years of acquisition experience.
Applicants must demonstrate initiative, a willingness to take risks and the ability to tackle complex problems.
For 1st Lieutenant Kevin Chang, the message to potential applicants is simple.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” he said. “You gain a real understanding of how the Space Force works – and how we work with our allies to deliver capabilities that matter.”