A new study by Aerospace Corporation reveals that the large proposed increase in the U.S. Space Force budget for fiscal year 2027 is directed toward a specific group of missions, rather than expanding all of the force’s capabilities at the same pace. Key areas of focus include classified programs, moving-target tracking, missile warning and tracking, and command-and-control systems.
The report, written by Robert Wilson, director of strategy and national security at the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at Aerospace Corporation, analyzes a proposed $71.3 billion budget for the Space Force. If fully funded, the amount would represent a 120% increase compared with fiscal year 2026, the largest percentage increase for any branch of the U.S. armed forces since 1952.
Large Budget, but Funding Is Uncertain
The $71.3 billion figure does not represent a fully guaranteed base request. The proposed base budget for the Space Force is $59.2 billion, while an additional $12.1 billion depends on Congress approving a separate reconciliation package. Wilson therefore believes the final result could fall between the two figures.
Wilson said that the timing and value of the final budget remain subject to considerable uncertainty. However, the administration’s long-term planning indicates that the increase is not necessarily a temporary measure; the administration expects a budget of approximately $69.6 billion for the Space Force in fiscal year 2028, without relying on a new reconciliation package to preserve most of the increase.
Where Is the Increase Concentrated?
According to the analysis, more than three-quarters of the proposed increase is concentrated in classified activities, Moving-Target Indication programs, missile warning, and command and control. Wilson believes this distribution shows that there is a specific vision for how space will be used, rather than a general increase in funding for all programs.
The Space-Based Air-Moving Target Indication (AMTI) program leads the list of programs in the fiscal year 2027 request, with $7.9 billion in funding. The program aims to detect and track aircraft from orbit, using space-based sensors, ground processing, and secure communications. Wilson described moving-target tracking as a relatively new area for the Space Force, making its programs elements worth monitoring.
The force’s second-largest program is the Space Data Network, which the Department of Defense describes as an interconnected network in low Earth orbit with ground infrastructure, designed to transmit large volumes of military data with low latency. Budget documents also indicate that the network will support space-based interceptors intended to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles.
Relationship to the Golden Dome Project
These programs illustrate the overlap between the Space Force’s expansion and the Golden Dome project, the proposed multilayered missile-defense architecture that President Donald Trump intends to establish. In fiscal year 2026, airborne moving-target tracking programs and the Space Data Network were launched under the Golden Dome project.
But the 2027 budget request moved both programs outside the Golden Dome account and classified them under “space superiority” initiatives. The change appears to concern the structure of the budget presentation more than a difference in the mission itself, since the capabilities provided by the two programs remain connected to missile defense. Their funding will also be partially affected by passage of the reconciliation package.
Separately, the administration proposed allocating $17.1 billion to the Golden Dome funding account through the reconciliation package, including $4.5 billion earmarked for space programs. The budget documents do not explain in detail how this amount will be distributed among the various military branches and agencies, and it is not included in the proposed $71.3 billion Space Force budget figure.
Missile Warning Continues to Rise
The budget for the Resilient Missile Warning and Missile Tracking program in low Earth orbit rises to $3.6 billion, an increase of $1.9 billion over fiscal year 2026. A parallel constellation in medium Earth orbit also receives $1.4 billion, more than double the $680 million allocated to it the previous year.
Wilson notes that missile-warning and tracking funding was regularly below $3 billion when he began his annual budget analysis six years ago. As a result, the sustained increase in this area has become one of the clearest trends in Space Force spending in recent years.
What Does This Mean in Practice?
The budget figures indicate that the proposed expansion focuses on detecting and tracking threats, transmitting military data, linking space capabilities to missile-defense operations, and programs whose details are not disclosed in public documents. This means that the overall size of the increase does not necessarily reflect a parallel expansion across all Space Force missions.
There are indications of broad political support for a significant increase in the force’s budget; the House Appropriations Committee approved a base budget equal to approximately 94% of the administration’s request. However, the additional portion linked to the reconciliation package remains subject to change, leaving the final funding amount and timing unresolved for now.