DoD seeks less space classification, more collaboration with allies and commercial partners

WASHINGTON — The Department of Defense is pushing to lower classification barriers and forge closer partnerships with the commercial space industry, John Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy, said Jan. 17. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Plumb shared that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks late last year signed a memo that "removes legacy classification barriers that have inhibited our ability to collaborate across the U.S. government and also with allies on issues related to space." This does not mean classification is going away, Plumb clarified, but it indicates that DoD is taking a hard look at…