Overview
- President Trump nominated Erich Hernandez-Baquero on April 21 to serve as assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration, a post that requires Senate confirmation.
- Hernandez-Baquero would direct how the Department of the Air Force buys and fields space systems, including satellites, ground stations, and the data networks that link them.
- He is a retired Air Force colonel and now Raytheon’s vice president for space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, after senior acquisition roles at the National Reconnaissance Office.
- The nomination lands as the Air Force seeks its largest Space Force budget to date for fiscal 2027, including $19.1 billion for procurement.
- The office has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader since Frank Calvelli departed in January 2025, with Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy and then Thomas Ainsworth serving in acting roles, and the same White House notice also named Roger Mason to lead the NRO.