The chief of the United States Space Force announced on February 13 that the service's long-awaited strategy for working with private space enterprises is nearing completion and is now being coordinated with the Office of the Secretary of Defense.  

As the Space Force takes shape, companies in the space industry are eager to see more clarity on how they can compete for future contracts, so they have high expectations for the commercial strategy.

Last year, Space Force Chief Gen. Chance Saltzman stated that his organization is developing a plan to integrate commercial satellite services into military operations with the goal of modernizing aging systems through private sector innovation. 

The commercial space strategy is almost finished, according to Saltzman, who was speaking with reporters at the Air & Space Forces Association's Warfare Conference in Aurora, Colorado. 

He added that he was reluctant to say imminent, as he thought he had said that a lot of times. The newest delay is due to coordination with the Pentagon's space policy office, which is also developing a commercial space strategy. 

Earlier, Saltzman had complained that the strategy was not "actionable" enough and that there was not enough guidance on what services the Space Force would contract out to the private sector, for example. 

CEOs in the industry have stated that they want the Space Force to set an example and open doors for private companies investing in satellites and other systems meant to serve government and commercial clients.