Watch Space Force’s Lt. Gen. John Thompson speak on sourcing tech to secure space Lt. Gen. John Thompson of the United States Space Force spoke at TC Sessions: Space earlier this week on the importance of working with startups. The general is the Commander of the Space and Missiles Systems Center, where he oversees research, design, development and acquisition of satellites and their associated command and control systems for the U.S. Space Force. His role puts him in direct contact with some of the most ambitious and innovative startups. Gen. Thompson spoke extensively on the importance of working with American business, specifically startups, where he sees many producing innovative products that fit within Space Force’s missions. He gave tips on how startups can interact with Space Force.