Together, the confirmations install new leaders at three organizations responsible for defining military space requirements, acquiring Space Force systems and operating the nation’s intelligence satellites. Hernandez-Baquero becomes assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration, making him the senior civilian official responsible for much of the Space Force’s acquisition enterprise. A retired Air Force colonel, Hernandez-Baquero comes to the job from Raytheon, where he was vice president for space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. His arrival gives the Space Force its first Senate-confirmed acquisition executive since Frank Calvelli left the government in January 2025. Earlier in his career, he served as the first assistant director of national intelligence for systems and resource analyses, helping set intelligence requirements and evaluate major acquisition investments.