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Future

Department of the Space Force

As the United States Space Force matures, and as national security requires, it will become necessary to create a separate military department, to be known as the Department of the Space Force.

— Space Policy Directive-4, 2019[1]

The Space Force is currently organized as a service under the Department of the Air Force, mirroring the U.S. Marine Corps position within the Department of the Navy. The current construct more closely mirrors proposals for a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force, rather than a fully independent Department of the Space Force. Senator Bob Smith, the 2001 Rumsfeld Commission, and 2008 Allard Commission each envisioned that a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force would serve as a steppingstone towards a separate Department of the Space Force.[2]

Space Policy Directive-4 directed the Space Force be initially established under the Department of the Air Force as a first step towards an independent Department of the Space Force. The Department of the Space Force would take over space responsibilities from the Department of the Air Force and the Secretary of Defense was directed to conduct periodic reviews to determine when to recommend the President seek legislation to establish that department.[3]

Department of the Air and Space Forces

Following the Space Force's establishment, calls have been made for the Department of the Air Force to be renamed to the Department of the Air and Space Forces, reflecting the full range of its responsibilities across the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.[4][5] Congress previously explored renaming the

Following the United States Space Force's establishment, calls have been made for the Department of the Air Force to rename itself the Department of the Air and Space Forces to acknowledge the Space Force, similar to calls made for the Department of the Navy to rename itself the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.

SpaceNews reported that a proposed name change was considered in 2018 and in 2019 the Air Force Association also called for renaming the department.[6][7] In 2022, the Air Force Association renamed itself the Air & Space Forces Association, internally acting on its proposal to reflect the Space Force in the organization's name.[8] In a 2021 article in the Space Force Journal, two Space Force officers also proposed a name change for the department.[9]

Consolidating space activities

Space Policy Directive-4 stated that the Space Force would consolidate existing forces and authorities for military space activities in order to minimize duplication of effort and eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies.[10] Prior to the Space Force's creation, over 60 Department of Defense organizations had a role in space operations, which was a problem identified in both the 2001 Rumsfeld Commission and 2008 Allard Commission.[11]

Consolidating Army and Navy space forces into Air Force Space Command began in the early 2000s after Donald Rumsfeld became secretary of defense. While the Navy transferred its space surveillance capabilities to the Air Force and shut down Naval Space Command, the Army resisted transferring its space equities into to the Air Force.[12][13] After the Space Force was created, the Navy and Army transferred their remaining satellite communications mission to the new service, with the Army also turning over its Joint Tactical Ground Station missile warning mission.[14][15]

Army Space Operations

Missile Defense

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles

Relationships with other space organizations

Department of the Air Force and U.S. Air Force

Main articles: United States Department of the Air Force and United States Air Force


The Air Force Research Laboratory's Starfire Optical Range, used for real-time high-fidelity tracking and imaging of satellites


National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Main articles: NASA and List of United States Space Force astronauts

The U.S. Space Force and its antecedents have a long history of cooperation with NASA, as the lead government agencies for military and civil spaceflight. The Space Force's predecessors in the Air Force, Navy, and Army provided NASA with its early space launch vehicles and most of its astronauts.[16]

The Space Force's first two astronauts, Colonel Michael S. Hopkins (left) and Colonel Nick Hague (right)

The Space Force hosts NASA launch operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.[17][18] NASA occasionally hosts U.S. Space Force heavy launches out of Kennedy Space Center.[19] The Space Force continues to support NASA's human spaceflight missions with range support of Space Launch Delta 45 and tracks threats to the International Space Station and other crewed spacecraft.[20][21]

The Space Force and NASA partner on matters such as space domain awareness and planetary defense.[22] Space Force members can be NASA astronauts, with Colonel Michael S. Hopkins, the commander of SpaceX Crew-1, commissioned into the Space Force from the International Space Station on 18 December 2020.[23][24][25]

National Reconnaissance Office

Main article: National Reconnaissance Office

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a Department of Defense agency and a member of the United States Intelligence Community, responsible for designing, building, launching, and maintaining intelligence satellites.[26] The Space Force executes National Reconnaissance Office space launches and consists of 40% of the agency's personnel.[27][28][29] Proposals have been put forward, including by the Air Force Association and retired Air Force Lieutenant General David Deptula, to merge the NRO into the Space Force, transforming it into a Space Force Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance Command and consolidating the entire national security space apparatus in the Space Force.[30][31][32]

Launch of the NROL-44 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

The USSF's Space Systems Command (SSC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, manages the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, which uses government and contract spacecraft to launch sensitive government payloads.[33][34] NSSL supports both the USSF and NRO.[34] NRO director Scolese has characterized his agency as critical to American space dominance and the Space Force, stating that NRO provides "unrivaled situational awareness and intelligence to the best imagery and signals data on the planet."[33] Additionally, in August 2021, former NRO deputy director Lt Gen Michael Guetlein became commander of Space Systems Command.[35]

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Main article: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Space Force and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) jointly operate the military's weather satellites.[36] Additionally, NOAA's Office of Space Commerce is responsible for civilian space situational awareness and space traffic management.[37]

The decision to transition space traffic management from the military to the Department of Commerce was made due to the significant growth in commercial spacecraft and to mirror how the Federal Aviation Administration, rather than the U.S. Air Force, handles air traffic management.[38]

  1. ^ https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/SPD-4/
  2. ^ https://www.afhistory.af.mil/Portals/64/Books/Titles/Space%20Force%20Origins.pdf
  3. ^ https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/SPD-4/
  4. ^ "The FAA's top space official outlines progress". Politico. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  5. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20231205162857/https://www.afa.org/publications-news/news/2019-12-23/fighting-and-winning-in-space-with-our-new-u-s--space-force
  6. ^ "Space Force proposal could create a broader military department for both air and space". 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Fighting and Winning in Space with Our New U.S. Space Force | Air Force Association". Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  8. ^ "AFA Rebrands to Become the Air & Space Forces Association". Air & Space Forces Association. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  9. ^ "The FAA's top space official outlines progress". Politico. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  10. ^ https://www.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/SPD-4/
  11. ^ https://www.csis.org/analysis/why-we-need-space-force
  12. ^ https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0901space/
  13. ^ https://spacenews.com/navy-transfers-space-surveillance-mission-to-afspcs-20th-space-control-squadron-naval-network-and-space-operations-command/
  14. ^ https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/08/15/space-force-takes-over-all-military-satellite-communications.html
  15. ^ https://spacenews.com/space-force-takes-over-missile-warning-ground-stations-previously-run-by-the-army/
  16. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "About Us". Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "Pictures: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch on USSF-67". 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  20. ^ "NASA - What is the "Range?"". Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Space Debris and Human Spacecraft". 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  22. ^ Smith, Marcia (5 May 2020). "NASA and Space Force to Work Together on Planetary Defense". SpacePolicyOnline.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference Erwin-2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference Erwin-2020a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kramer-2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ "About the NRO: Develop. Acquire. Launch. Operate". National Reconnaissance Office. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020.
  27. ^ Strout, Nathan (16 November 2020). "National Reconnaissance Office launches new intelligence satellite". C4ISRNET. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  28. ^ July 2020, Tariq Malik 14 (14 July 2020). "The Space Force will launch 4 secret satellites from Virginia Wednesday and you can watch it live". Space.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. ^ Gould, Aaron Mehta, Joe (11 April 2019). "National Reconnaissance Office could join Space Force down the road, Shanahan says". Defense News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ Hitchens, Theresa (22 April 2020). "Battle For NRO Takes Shape As Space, Air Forces Grapple With Acquisition". Breaking Defense. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  31. ^ Wright, Bruce "Orville" (23 December 2019). "Fighting and Winning in Space with Our New U.S. Space Force". Air Force Association. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  32. ^ Deptula, Dave (18 May 2020). "Setting Up The Space Force For Success". Forbes. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  33. ^ a b Tadjdeh, Yasmin (20 July 2021). "JUST IN: National Reconnaissance Office Embracing Commercial Tech". National Defense Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  34. ^ a b McCall, Stephen (30 December 2020). "Defense Primer: National Security Space Launch" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  35. ^ Strout, Nathan (14 July 2021). "Biden nominates deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office to lead new Space Systems Command". C4ISRNET. Defense News. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  36. ^ "U.S. Space Force considers a second NOAA weather satellite". 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  37. ^ "NOAA seeking information on commercial space situational awareness data". 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  38. ^ "Space Force official: We need the Commerce Department's space traffic office to be successful". 7 November 2022. Archived from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
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