By Sean Payne, SatNews Events
ORLANDO, Fla. — Targeting a critical disconnect between technical space operators and the government officials who fund them, the Space Force Association (SFA) has established the National Spacepower Center (NSpC). Unveiled during the Spacepower Conference, the center is a virtual institute designed to educate U.S. and allied leaders on the operational realities of space warfare through immersive simulation.
The initiative addresses a persistent challenge in national security: while U.S. Space Force Guardians are trained in orbital mechanics and electronic warfare, the decision-makers in Congress, the executive branch, and allied governments often lack a tangible understanding of space threats. The NSpC aims to function as a “sandbox” for these officials, allowing them to visualize “gray zone” aggression—such as reversible jamming or co-orbital maneuvers—that defines modern space competition.
Digital Twins and Wargaming Unlike traditional think tanks that produce white papers, the NSpC will rely on high-fidelity visualizations and interactive wargaming. The SFA selected Sedaro, a cloud-native simulation provider, as the center’s inaugural industry consortium member.
Sedaro will provide “digital twin” technology—physics-accurate replicas of satellites and orbital environments—to power the center’s educational modules. This capability allows non-technical users to run “what-if” scenarios, demonstrating how the loss of specific space assets cascades into effects on terrestrial battlefields and global economies.
Strategic Rationale The center’s creation comes as the Space Force shifts its posture from purely operating satellites to generating combat power. SFA leadership identified that effective governance requires policymakers to intuitively grasp the speed and silence of space conflict.
“The United States is facing unprecedented challenges in the space domain,” said Bill Woolf, SFA President and Founder. “Many of our most senior decision-makers know space superiority is critical but have never had tools that let them truly experience the threat environment. The National Spacepower Center will give leaders the ability to understand U.S. Space Force priorities and explore the strategic and operational concepts that will define our national security future.”
Timeline and Leadership The NSpC focuses on three core pillars:
- Immersive Education: Visualizing threats for non-specialists.
- Concept Development: Testing policy frameworks against simulated operational realities.
- Allied Integration: Clarifying how partner nations fit into the U.S. space architecture.
The center is scheduled to begin rolling out its programming and interactive modules in 2026. The SFA indicated that an executive leadership team for the NSpC will be announced in early 2026.