FORT BELVOIR, Va. –
Defense Logistics Agency Energy is least known for providing petroleum to the military, but it also plays a critical role in U.S. space dominance by supplying 92 product lines including specialized fuels and chemicals for missiles, space launches and satellites.
DLA Energy’s Aerospace Energy team oversees the complex supply chain for products including missile fuels, nitrogen, hydrogen and helium. Customer operations specialists work directly with military units to determine their needs and coordinate with the supplier operations team to ensure timely delivery of the correct products, DLA Energy Deputy Commander David Kless said.
“This team isn’t just fueling missions, they’re fueling American dominance in space. Their management of these specialized product lines – from missile propellants to aviator’s breathing oxygen – is essential for national security and space exploration, powering everything from rockets to satellites,” he said.
Since 2016, DLA Energy has supported more than 100 U.S. government launch missions, including Delta II, Delta IV, Atlas V, Falcon 9, Vulcan, New Glenn, Antares, Alpha, Minotaur and Pegasus rockets. DLA Energy also supported the Titan rocket and Space Shuttle programs, and it continues to support NASA’s space exploration.
Kevin Ahern, DLA Energy’s director of aerospace and installations, said his organization’s support of the space and aviation communities is a “source of tremendous pride.”
“Our Aerospace Energy team continues to provide innovative solutions to meet all requirements in these complex supply chains,” he added. “The team’s ability to turn challenges into solutions makes every day rewarding.”
The supplier operations team oversees everything from sourcing materials like nitrogen, used for purging impurities. That includes contracting with vendors to convert liquid nitrogen to gas, transporting it via pipeline alongside other vital products like hydrogen and hydrazine materials, and maintaining bulk storage. The team emphasizes safety throughout the process due to the inherent dangers of materials like nitrogen.
McCoy Greer III, a supervisory inventory management specialist, described how pre-positioning these resources is crucial for mission success and requires careful long-term planning and vendor partnerships.
“At Aerospace Energy, we’re proactively building a hypergolic propellant inventory to support the next generation of space launch vehicles,” Greer said. “We leverage years of experience and established customer/supplier relationships and engage with the entire space industry … to forecast demand and pre-position a five-year supply.”
Chemists from DLA Energy’s Quality Technical Directorate support the aerospace supply chain by ensuring product specifications and testing, said Robert Gloria, lead customer account specialist in DLA Energy’s space launch branch.
“Our quality team’s dedication has been essential to this program’s success,” Gloria said. “Their rigorous testing … ensures our products consistently meet stringent military and commercial standards for space launch missions.”
Another key component of the aerospace mission is providing backup oxygen for modern jets and supplying the primary oxygen source for older planes. These products are essential for pilot survival, said CJ Hunter, chief of the customer relationship branch for cryogenics.
“As the linchpin between the customer, the supplier and the combatant command, … the Aerospace Energy customer operations team ensured seamless communication and execution,” Hunter said. “We were able to … ensure zero mission delays or impacts for our combined forces, including Air Force pilots.”
DLA Energy’s critical role in supporting space operations is further amplified by the daily efforts of the DLA Nuclear and Space Enterprise Support Office. Working in close coordination with the U.S. Space Force, DLA NESO plays a vital part in long-term sustainment planning for space operations. DLA’s senior service integrator for USSF, Greg Ogorek, along with NESO liaisons to USSF and U.S. Space Command, collaborates with Aerospace Energy to anticipate and meet the evolving demands of the space domain.
“Space enterprise sustain-ment is only growing in importance,” Ogorek said. “Aerospace Energy is vital to future space domain initiatives, ensuring our space capabilities are robust and resilient.”
Collaboration ensures a cohesive logistics concept from initial design and mission planning through execution and sustainment, he said, highlighting the integrated partnership that supported USSF’s development of on-orbit refueling and fuel storage capabilities.
“This collaborative effort is crucial for the success of on-orbit refueling, which promises to enhance satellite longevity, maneuverability and resilience while fostering a robust commercial ecosystem,” Ogorek said. “These capabilities are critical for maintaining U.S. space dominance and deterring adversaries in an increasingly contested space environment.”