New report warns the US wouldn't be able to rebuild its space military in the event of a war with China or Russia due to a lack of qualified experts

A recent RAND report has raised concerns that the United States may struggle to rebuild its space military in the event of a conflict with China or Russia due to a shortage of skilled workers. The report, titled "Breaking Glass, Missing Hands," was sponsored by the Vice Chief of Space Operations and conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE.

The study highlights a severe labor gap, with numbers reaching 19-to-1 in certain scenarios when it comes to engineering replacements. The three groups identified as lacking are engineers with bachelor's degrees or higher, skilled touch labor, and advanced-degree specialists in electro-optical sensing and radiation hardening. These positions are difficult to replace or replicate in a short timeframe.

The report warns that a 12- to 24-month reconstruction timeline is overly ambitious, as it is based on RAND's own assumptions and calculations. The most concerning workforce shortage, however, is in cleanroom technicians, welders, and solderers, due to high labor gaps. RAND suggests setting a more aggressive standard, as the Pentagon has not formally defined such a requirement.

Security clearance delays are also cited as a hiring bottleneck, with initial Secret investigations averaging over 87 days and Top Secret cases taking close to six months. To address this issue, RAND recommends investing $4 million annually in scholarships and internships, $1 million in outreach and recruitment, and a one-time $800,000 feasibility study on retraining workers from related industries.

While this is a small amount compared to the $32 billion expected for the US Space Force in Fiscal 2027, it represents just 0.016 percent of that budget and 0.003 percent of the $185 billion allocated for the Golden Dome project. The issue may not only arise in wartime but also from the proposed increase in space transportation, with the White House's space transportation policy targeting over 1,000 launches and reentries by 2030.