Raytheon exec blasts through revolving door and into space

A Raytheon executive is blasting through the government-industry revolving door to become the Space Force's next acquisition czar.

Yesterday, the Trump administration tapped Erich Hernandez-Baquero — still Raytheon's vice president for space intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance — to become assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration.

If the Senate confirms him, Hernandez-Baquero would preside over the Air Force procurement of satellites, ground systems, and other space systems and infrastructure. That puts him in a position to potentially steer contracts to his current employer.

“There's not even the obstacle of a revolving door any longer — with the right pedigree you can just waltz right through,” Shana Marshall, a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, told RS. “The conflict [of interest] is a prerequisite for the job.”

The nomination comes amid growing DoD and defense industry interest in the space realm, including projects like Golden Dome, a proposed missile defense system that would supposedly cover the entirety of the continental United States.

“Golden Dome, which, as currently envisioned, will include interceptors, satellites and targeting systems in space, will be a gold mine for companies like Raytheon,” William Hartung, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, told RS. “Given that Golden Dome could cost hundreds of billions, if not trillions of dollars, the opportunities for their former executive to steer contracts to RTX [Raytheon’s parent company] will be frequent, and the amounts involved will be enormous.”

Raytheon makes a variety of space-adjacent defense technologies and weapons, including missile warning sensors and even space-based missile interceptors it calls “kill vehicles.”

The new defense budget request for FY 2027 also asks for a record $71.2 billion for Space Force next year — a striking jump up from the $40 billion requested for FY 2026.

The Air Force and RTX did not reply to requests for comment.