I. Spaceborne Autonomous Resupply
Astronauts from numerous countries have continuously occupied the International Space Station (ISS) for over 20 years. This continuous human occupancy requires intermittent resupply. However, the ISS does not return to Earth when it needs more supplies. Instead, the ISS relies on commercial resupply via rockets and spacecraft. The Army and the DoD must adopt this model of spaceborne resupply to enhance their prolonged endurance capability in multidomain operations (MDO).
Currently, the DoD lacks orbital delivery mechanisms to enhance prolonged endurance. Instead, it relies on the three traditional domains to sustain its force: sea, air, and land. The NASA model for resupply of the ISS provides the opportunity to fill the space domain sustainment gap by ensuring resupply capabilities in every tangible domain in large-scale combat operations. Rockets and spacecraft are the future of enabling prolonged endurance in MDO because they can autonomously deliver greater amounts of sustainment to U.S. forces in a more expeditious manner, regardless of the distance from base or austerity of the environment.
II. The Space Domain Is the Future of Enabling Prolonged Endurance Maximizing Methods of Delivery
Field Manual 3-0, Operations, defines endurance as “the ability to persevere over time throughout the depth of an operational environment.” It highlights the importance of the Army’s ability to continue operations for as long as necessary. Notably, the manual states that endurance “reflects the ability to employ combat power anywhere for protracted periods in all conditions.” This sustainment principle carries over verbatim to the tenets of MDO. To achieve this doctrinal intent, U.S. forces must be able to continuously sustain forces anywhere on the globe at any time. Accordingly, achieving continuous sustainment requires the availability of every capable delivery mechanism. Current advances in space technology, demonstrated by continuous resupply of the ISS, provide another method by which the Army and other Services can enhance the ability to conduct combat operations.
Logistical support is the lifeblood of the Army. This sentiment is echoed by great military leaders such as GEN Dwight D. Eisenhower who have historically stressed the importance of sustainment: “You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics.” Given its importance and in keeping with the MDO 2028 tenet of endurance, every method of delivering sustainment through autonomous resupply must be readily available to ensure the ability of U.S. forces to endure over prolonged periods of combat activity. The U.S. must be able to conduct autonomous delivery even in space.
The NASA Lesson
Spaceborne resupply is the only available method to deliver cargo, including science equipment, hardware, and other supplies to the crew aboard the ISS. Like NASA, the U.S. military may find itself in a situation where its forces are in an austere environment with no immediate means to deliver supplies via the traditional domains. Where land, sea, and air delivery are unavailable, spaceborne autonomous resupply provides the ability to sustain the force from any base or seaborne vessel in an expeditious fashion. Per NASA, a rocket launched from the continental U.S. can be at the space station in as little as four hours. A similar timeline is feasible for delivery of goods around the world. As an additional benefit, the autonomous nature of rockets and spacecraft reduces the risk of sending user-operated ships, airplanes, and vehicles.
Currently, two private contractors, SpaceX and Northrop Grumman (a prominent member of the defense industrial base), conduct autonomous resupply missions to the ISS. On the 30th commercial resupply mission to the ISS, a SpaceX rocket delivered over 6,200 pounds of cargo. The cargo included sustainment items similar to those a force may need during long-term operations, including over 1,000 pounds of crew supplies, 900 pounds of vehicle hardware, and almost 200 pounds of space-walking equipment. In terms of the strategic context, the defense industrial base can conduct spaceborne resupply, and the DoD must translate that capability to enhance prolonged endurance.
Issues with Spaceborne Autonomous Delivery
The most obvious issue with this method of autonomous delivery is that it is conducted via rocket. In most circumstances, a rocket coming down on troops is cause for concern. SpaceX recently developed a reusable rocket known as the Falcon 9 that can land — intact — vertically after launch. The Falcon 9 can also launch from and land on a vessel at sea. This reusable rocket provides the potential for the safe and expeditious delivery of supplies to U.S. forces around the globe.
However, rockets are still inherently dangerous. Last year, in a rare mishap, a Falcon 9 toppled over following its landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, as with all rockets, the enemy can intercept and destroy a rocket before it lands. These concerns are not unique to spaceborne delivery and must not deter development and implementation.
III. The Next Sustainment Frontier
Multidomain endurance requires multidomain endurance capabilities. The U.S. can supply its forces through the land, sea, and air domains, and it needs the same capability through space. The technology is readily available in the commercial sector. The time between wars is the best time to innovate, and there is no time like the present. Accordingly, the Army and DoD must adopt the NASA model of autonomous spaceborne resupply to enhance their prolonged endurance capability in MDO.
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MAJ Thomas J. Darmofal is a student at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He previously served as an appellate attorney and court commissioner with the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He earned his law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law and recently completed a Master of Laws degree in military law from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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This article was published in the spring 2025 issue of Army Sustainment.
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