Space Force

For the unified combatant command, see .For the TV show, see .

United States Space ForceFounded20 December 2019 (as an independent service) 1 September 1982 (37 years, 8 months as )CountryUnited StatesTypeRoleSize88 active dutyPart of Headquarters , U.S.Anniversaries20 DecemberWebsiteCommanders InsigniaPart of on the programs programsThe United States Space Force (USSF) is the of the , and is one of the eight . The sixth and youngest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, it was the first branch of the military established since the formation of the independent in 1947. The direct antecedent of the Space Force, , was formed on 1 September 1982 with responsibility for operations. The redesignated Air Force Space Command as the U.S. Space Force, and established it as an independent branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 20 December 2019.

The U.S. Space Force is organized as a military service branch within the , one of the three military departments within the . The Space Force, through the Department of the Air Force, is headed by the , who reports to the Secretary of Defense, and is appointed by the president with Senate confirmation. In terms of personnel count, it is the smallest U.S. armed service within the U.S. Department of Defense.

The most senior Space Force officer is the , unless a Space Force officer also serves as either the chairman or vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Chief of Space Operations exercises supervision over the Space Force's units and serves as one of the . Certain Space Force components will be assigned, as directed by the and Secretary of the Air Force, to . Combatant commanders will be delegated operational authority of the forces assigned to them, while the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Space Operations will retain administrative authority over their members.

Contents Mission, functions, and duties Mission The U.S. Space Force's mission is to "organize, train, and equip space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. Its responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to the Combatant Commands".

The Space Force is specifically responsible for organizing, training, and equipping forces for the following mission sets:

Functions As described in the United States Space Force Act, it will be organized, trained, and equipped to:

> Duties Its duties include to:

> Organization The Space Force is organized as one of two coequal military service branches within the Department of the Air Force, with the other service being the . Both services are overseen by the Secretary of the Air Force, who has overall responsibility for organizing, training, and equipping the Space Force and Air Force.

Organization of the United States Space Force Within the Department of DefenseThe military head of the Space Force is the Chief of Space Operations (CSO), who is an officer in the grade of . The Chief of Space Operations will become a member of the Joint Staff one year after the passage of the Space Force Act. If authorized by the Secretary of Defense, the Chief of Space Operations may be dual-hatted as the Commander of .

The Space Force will assume responsibility for all major space acquisitions programs, as well as manage a distinct and separate budget, ensuring independence from the Air Force. The Space Force is intended to include all uniformed and civilian personnel within the Department of Defense conducting and supporting space operations, centralizing management of space professionals. The Space Force will also create career paths for military and civilian space personnel, to include operations, intelligence, engineering, science, acquisitions, and cyber. While establishing the Space Force, the Defense Department intends to utilize inter-service transfers, initial lateral entry, direct commission authorities, career incentive pays and retention bonuses, and waivers to accession policy.

(AFSPC) was redesignated as the Space Force by the 2020 NDAA, elevated to become the new service. All of AFSPC's former personnel, organizations, and components were then assigned to the Space Force. AFSPC's principal components were , which controls operations, and the , which is responsible for research and acquisitions.

The first organizational change occurred on 20 December 2019, when the Fourteenth Air Force/Air Forces Strategic was redesignated as (SpOC). Major General , former Commander, Fourteenth Air Force, was redesignated as Commander, Space Operations Command; in addition to Shaw's role as U.S. Space Command's Combined Force Space Component Commander.

The Space Force is also intending to stand up Space Systems Command (SSC) and Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). SFSC is intended to centralize Space Force launch, procurement, research, and development activities. STARCOM is intended to grow a cadre of space professionals and be comprised of Space Force Centers focused on training, readiness, and doctrine.

Structure (SpOC), ,

(SMC), ,

As of mid-2019, as regards actual in orbit being operated and controlled by the then-AFSPC, the Air Force reported that there were four communications; one ; five ; six satellites; five ; 31 satellites; four ; five communications; seven (SBIRS, infra-red, launch warning); two ; and seven . The B and its low-profile missions also represent a significant U.S. orbital asset. The fifth and latest X-37 mission, USA-277, was launched on 7 September 2017, and was the longest X-37 mission to date, landing on 27 October 2019 after 780 days in orbit.

On 12 March 2019, the (SDA), a new space-focused development agency, additional to the Space and Missile Systems Center and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, was established. It was established under the authority of the . As of January 2020, the SDA is planned to become part of the U.S. Space Force in October 2022.

In early April 2020, a list of twenty-three units to be transferred from the Air Force to the Space Force was publicly reported. Those units included the , Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; , Wright-Patterson AFB, OH; the , Schriever AFB, CO; the , Nellis AFB, NV; the , Schriever AFB, CO; Operating Location A, , Schriever AFB, Colorado (ultimately part of the ); the , , 70th ISR Wing, Ft. Meade, Maryland*; /Advanced Programs*, Schriever AFB, Colorado; the , Ft. Meade, Maryland*; the , Buckley AFB, Colorado*; the , Group Staff & Detachment 5, Peterson AFB, Colorado; Detachment 1, USAF Warfare Center, Schriever AFB, Colorado; the , , Vandenberg AFB, CA (initial training); the , Peterson AFB, CO ; the (AFRL) Research Lab Mission Execution, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio*; the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico*; the AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division, Edwards AFB, CA; the AFRL Electro-Optical Division, Maui, Hawaii & Kirtland AFB, New Mexico*; the AFRL Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio*; the Counter-Space Analysis Squadron and the Space Analysis Squadron, collectively half of the , , both at Wright-Patterson AFB; the Detachment 4, Peterson AFB, CO; and the – Space Safety Division, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

Personnel All members of the former Air Force Space Command are currently assigned to the Space Force. Members of the Army and Navy will also be detailed to the Space Force. There are currently 16,000 individuals assigned to the Space Force. Air Force airmen will begin transferring to the Space Force beginning in FY 2020, while Army soldiers and Navy sailors will begin transferring in FY 2022. The FY 2021 budget allocates 10,000 civilian and military billets to the USSF.

The Space Force is creating career tracks for Space Force Core Organic specialties, including space-specific operations, intelligence, engineering, acquisitions, science, and cyber/communications. Support specialties, such as legal, medical, civil engineering, logistics, financial management, security forces, and public affairs will be detailed by the Air Force to support the Space Force.

Officers and enlisted personnel Main article: The commissioned the first Space Force officers on 18 April 2020.All members of the Space Force currently retain their respective grade and rank carried over from the Air Force, however it has not yet announced what the permanent rank structure will be.

Space Force officers are accessed through the , , and . Enlisted personnel are accessed through , although some of the curriculum may be modified to be more space-related. The Space Force is also leveraging the Air Force's infrastructure, curriculum, and instructors for initial training, while creating space-specific training programs as well.

The Space Force recently announced that it will be absorbing 16 integral specialties.

Officer specialties include:

Enlisted specialties include:

Uniforms Main article: A Space Force general's OCP uniform.While the Space Force develops its own set of distinctive uniforms, it is using the Air Force's service dress uniform and has adopted the as its own combat utility uniform.

Awards and badges Main article: In addition to basic uniform clothing, various insignia are used by the USSF to indicate a billet assignment or qualification-level for a given assignment. Insignia currently in use by the USSF include the United States Space Command identification badge and the Command Space Operations badge.

Budget The proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget for the Space Force would transfer over $15 billion from the Air Force.

United States Space Force Budget20202021 (proposed)Operation & Maintenance$40,000,000$2,608,400,000Procurement-$2,446,100,000 Research, Development, Test & Evaluation-$10,327,600,000Total$40,000,000$15,382,100,000The 2021 Department of Defense Budget requests $1.6 billion for three vehicles. $1.05 billion of this budget will fund three launches: AFSPC-36, AFSPC-87 and AFSPC-112. The United States Space Force is reported to be working closely with commercial leaders in the space domain such as () and () to determine their capability in serving the mission. According to Lt. General David Thompson, the United States Space Force is already in contracting talks with Blue Origin. The budget includes $560 million to upgrade the launch systems of Blue Origin, , and . Further, the 2021 DOD budget requests $1.8 billion for two systems and other projects to fulfill the Space Superiority Strategy. The GPS III system, first launched on 23 December 2018, is the latest GPS system from contractor Lockheed Martin; the GPS III system has improved anti-jamming capabilities and is three times more accurate than current GPS systems. The FY 2021 Budget also includes $2.5 billion allocated to the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellite constellation as part of a DOD wide increase on missile defense capacity to defend from threats such as . The Next-Gen OPIR constellation will provide the U.S. military with a resilient worldwide missile warning system. This new generation of satellites will work in tandem with the existing (SBIRS); production of the SBIRS will conclude in 2022 and the first Next-Gen OPIR satellite is expected to be delivered in 2025.

History See also: Early military space program (1945–1982) Military space activities began immediately after the conclusion of , with , commanding general of the , becoming an early visionary for the potential of military space operations. In 1946 General Arnold directed Dr. the to determine the feasibility of a satellite for strategic reconnaissance. In 1946 this study identified nearly all current space mission areas, including intelligence, weather forecasting, communications, and navigation.

General was the father of the military space program.After the gained its independence in 1947, General was appointed to head the , made responsible for the Air Force's space and intercontinental ballistic missile programs. It was responsible for developing the Advanced Reconnaissance System, which would have been the Air Force's first satellite constellation. On 4 October 1957 the launched , which was the world's first satellite. This event transformed space development overnight, helping the national security establishment understand the importance of the space domain.

Early military space development was marked by strong interservice rivalry, with each developing their own proposals for satellites and launch vehicles. The first American satellite was the 's which was launched on the 's rocket. The Air Force still continued military space development amidst this competition from the Army and Navy. In 1958 the newly formed assumed control over all military space programs, but this centralization was short lived and gave control back to the services in September 1959. The creation of in 1958 significantly hampered the Army and Navy's space programs, absorbing the Army's and and Navy's and satellite tracking network, but only absorbed the Air Force's program, merging it with .

Development of Air Force space systems continued with the (MIDAS) and 's reconnaissance satellites, as well as the , , and space launch vehicles. The Air Force and also jointly developed and operated the reconnaissance satellite. The development of reconnaissance satellites became a national priority after an American reconnaissance plane was over the Soviet Union, making aerial reconnaissance impractical. In 1961 the was created as a joint Air Force–CIA activity to manage all spy satellites.

"Space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man. And only if the United-States occupies a position of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theatre of war. I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space, any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea."— , speech at , 12 September 1962

In 1961, Secretary of Defense designated the Air Force as the lead military service for space, further relegating the space programs of the Army and Navy. The relationship between the Air Force space program and NASA continued to grow closer, with agreements being reached to share information and personnel. The Air Force also began development on the crewed spaceplane and , both of which were later canceled as their functions could be carried out by uncrewed systems. General Schriever's advocacy for military space led to the 1961 establishment of (AFSC), which included a dedicated Space Systems Directorate to centralize all space development, separating it from the missile program. Prior to Air Force Systems Command's creation, spacecraft design, acquisitions, and launch was split between and Air Force Research and Development Command, however, the new command centralized all of these activities.

The Air Force provided space support to forces during the , with a focus on providing space–based weather and communications capabilities. In the 1970s development began on the , , and missile warning satellites. The also began development, with significant Air Force input. For much of the 1960s and 1970s, Air Force space operations were centralized in , but it was disestablished in 1980, transferring its space surveillance and missile warning systems to Strategic Air Command. In 1979, Air Force doctrine recognized space as a mission area for the first time, and led to the creation of a space division on the . Air Force Systems Command also established a deputy commander for space operations.

Air Force Space Command (1982–2019) shieldTowards the 1980s, the Air Force began to realize that it was insufficiently organized for military space operations, with assets and responsibilities split across Strategic Air Command, Air Force Systems Command, the , and the Air Staff. In 1979, the concluded that "currently, the Air Force is inadequately organized for operational exploitation of space and has placed insufficient emphasis on inclusion of space systems in an integrated force study." In 1981, the Air Force took a measure to address this discontinuity, establishing the consolidated space operations center in Colorado Springs and began discussing the creation of a space command to centralize its space activities. On 1 September 1982, (AFSPC) was created as an Air Force . Air Force Space Command centralized all space operations, including missile warning, launch operations, satellite control, space domain awareness, and satellite communications.

Air Force Space Command was absolutely critical during the , which would later be described as the first space war by Air Force Chief of Staff General . Specifically, its GPS support enabled the left hook across the Iraq desert. Defense Meteorological Support Program satellites provided a significant amount of weather data and over 90% of communications were provided by satellite systems. The Defense Support Program early-warning satellites provided indications of SCUD launches to fielded forces.

In the 1990s, AFSPC led the development of the communications satellite constellation and completed the GPS constellation. In accordance with the recommendations of the 2001 Space Commission, the was transferred from to Air Force Space Command, becoming its integral research and acquisitions arm. In the aftermath of the , Air Force Space Command provided space support as part of the .

Independence (2019–present) U.S. Space Force logo used from 20 December 2019 on public social media accountsThe idea of an independent service for U.S. military space operations had been under consideration since 2000. The Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization, chaired by former secretary of defense and composed of a number of military, space, and intelligence professionals, was set up to examine the national security space organization of the United States. The commission itself concluded that the military needed to develop space–specific doctrine, operations concepts, and capabilities – including the development and deployment of space–based weapons. The Space Commission came to the conclusion that the Air Force treated space operations as a secondary mission in comparison to air operations, and recommended the creation of a space corps within the Department of the Air Force, and in the long term, creating a military department for space.

President signs the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which established the Space Force, in Hangar 6 at , 20 December 2019. General , the first , stands on the left.In 2017, a bipartisan proposal to create the U.S. Space Corps, as a military service within the Department of the Air Force, was put forward by Representatives and . This was done specifically due to the realization that the Air Force's space mission had become a secondary concern in contrast with the air dominance mission. The proposal passed in the House of Representatives, but was cut from the final bill in negotiations with the U.S. Senate.

The proposal gained new life when President first publicly spoke about an independent space force during a March 2018 speech. In a June 2018 meeting of the , he directed the Department of Defense to begin the necessary processes to establish the U.S. Space Force as a branch of the Armed Forces. On 19 February 2019, Space Policy Directive–4 was signed, initially calling for the placement of the U.S. Space Force within the Department of the Air Force, before later creating and transferring the service to the Department of the Space Force.Legislative provisions for the Space Force were included in the , which was signed into law by President Donald Trump during a signing ceremony at on 20 December 2019. The Space Force was established as the sixth armed service branch, with Air Force General , the head of Air Force Space Command and U.S. Space Command, becoming the first . On 14 January 2020, Raymond was officially sworn in as chief of space operations by Vice President . Air Force Secretary approved the transfer of to the Space Force and re-designated as , with the transfer effective 20 December 2019. The former commander of the 14th Air Force, Maj. Gen. John E. Shaw, was appointed commander of Space Operations Command while also serving as U.S. Space Command's Combined Force Space Component commander.

About 16,000 Air Force active duty and civilian personnel are to be assigned to the Space Force while the branch is gradually integrated into the ecosystem, including establishing independent procedures for manning equipment, training personnel, and creating uniforms, ranks, logo, patch, awards, and official song, reportedly within an 18-month period.1,840 from 23 units of the Air Force are being transferred to the Space Force in 2020. On 18 April 2020, 86 graduates of the became the first group of commissioned in the U.S. Space Force.

See also References External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to . about United States Space Force ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LeadershipOversightStructureField commandsWingsPersonnel and trainingHistory and traditionsLeadershipMilitary departmentsService branches and headsStructureOperations and :U.S. ancestryHistoriographyPersonnelTrainingUniformsOtherLandSeaAirOtherLegendA = MC = N = AF = SF = CG = (including Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities)Non-armed uniformed servicesGeneralGeneralProgramsHealth issuesDestinations AfricaAmericasNorth AmericaSouth AmericaAsiaCentral AsiaEast AsiaSouth AsiaSoutheast AsiaSouthwest AsiaOceaniaWorld[//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1] Retrieved from "": Hidden categories: US Space Force logo looks like one from Star Trek - BBC News

Space ForcePromotional release posterGenreCreated by StarringMusic byCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal language(s)EnglishNo. of seasons1No. of episodes10 ()ProductionExecutive producer(s)Producer(s)CinematographySimon ChapmanEditor(s)Camera setupRunning time27–36 minutesProduction company(s)Release Original networkPicture format ( in )Audio formatOriginal releaseMay 29, 2020External linksSpace Force is an American series created by and , starring Carell, , , and . The series premiered on on May 29, 2020.

Contents Premise[] Space Force is a workplace comedy series that centers on a group of people tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the , the . Carell's character, Mark Naird, is the general in charge of the effort and the series follows his collaboration to get "boots on the moon" per the orders of the President.

Cast[] Main[] Recurring[] Episodes[] No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date1"The Launch" & May 29, 2020Mark Naird is promoted to full general and is hoping to take over as the . However, he is appointed as the first Chief of Operations of the newest United States military branch: the . His family, including daughter Erin and wife Maggie, are relocated to Colorado. One year later, the Space Force is about to launch a new satellite called Epsilon 6 into orbit. The Space Force is disorganized and fledgling, Mark is constantly bombarded by obstacles and adversaries, Erin detests her new home, and Maggie is now in prison. Against the advice of his advisors and scientists, including Space Force scientist Dr. Adrian Mallory, Mark orders the launch of Epsilon 6. Despite initial concerns, and in front of a delegation of prominent members of Congress, Epsilon 6 successfully . Later that night, as Mark and Adrian celebrate, Mark, observing Epsilon 6 through a telescope, sees a Chinese satellite clip the solar panels, the satellite's only power source, putting Epsilon 6 in jeopardy.2"Save Epsilon 6!"Tom MarshallGreg DanielsMay 29, 2020After the solar panels were removed from Epsilon 6, Mark and Adrian come up with a plan to reattach the solar panels to the Epsilon 6 spacecraft before their different take them too far apart. Despite other proposed plans from his science team, Mark decides to use a , Marcus, and a dog, Theodore, who are in orbit for a promotional mission. After negotiating with Marcus, they convince him to conduct an to reattach the solar panels, but is unsuccessful and breaks the tether to his spacecraft, flinging him far away. Marcus is recovered by a Chinese , and Mark attempts to resign from his position to the , but is denied. Adrian argures on behalf of Mark's goal of the increased militarization of space, while Mark argues for the scientific advancements that space exploration offers. Satisfied by their answers, the committee dismisses the Space Force representatives from the hearing.3"Mark And Mallory Go To Washington"Tom MarshallShepard BoucherMay 29, 2020Mark and Adrian travel to to present the case for the Space Force budget to the . Erin was suspended from school and attempts to travel with her father back to Washington, D.C., but he has Angela watch her for the day instead. Mark requests an increased Space Force budget before Congress, while Grabaston attempts to convince Adrian that he should be leading the Space Force.4"Lunar Habitat"Paul KingLauren HousemanMay 29, 20205"Space Flag"May 29, 20206"The Spy"Dee ReesAasia Lashay Bullock & Connor HinesMay 29, 20207"Edison Jaymes"Yael GreenMay 29, 20208"Conjugal Visit"Maxwell Theodore VivianMay 29, 20209"It's Good To Be Back On The Moon"May 29, 202010"Proportionate Response"Daina ReidGreg DanielsMay 29, 2020Production[] Development[] On January 16, 2019, it was announced that had given the production a series order for a ten-episode first season. The series is co-created by and and is executive produced by Daniels, Carell, and through .

Casting[] Alongside the initial series order announcement, it was confirmed that Carell would star in the series.

On September 26, 2019, it was announced that , , and had joined that series as main cast and , and as recurring cast. In October 2019, , and joined the cast in recurring roles. In April 2020, it was announced had joined the cast in a recurring role. In May 2020, it was reported that and were cast in recurring roles.

The series features the last television performance by comedian , who died on May 15, 2020.

Filming[] Principal photography for the first season commenced in , on September 26, 2019 and ended on January 10, 2020.

Release[] On May 5, 2020, a teaser trailer for the series was released. The series was released on Netflix on May 29, 2020.

Reception[] On review aggregator , the first season of the series has an approval rating of 36% based on 67 reviews, with an average rating of 5.59/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "An all-star cast and blockbuster-worthy special effects aren't enough to keep Space Force's uneven blend of earnestness and satire from spinning quickly out of comedic orbit." On , it has a weighted average score of 47 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

of the praised Carell for his "impeccable comedic timing and his uncanny ability to play yet another character who’s often an insufferable buffoon with not a speck of self-awareness" but criticized the hit-and-miss humor, and said "the big-budget slapstick set pieces are mildly funny when they should be Mel Brooks funny. ... Don’t get me wrong; I enjoyed Space Force. ... It’s just with all the credentials of the main contributors, we hoped for greatness and got ... pretty good."

Caroline Framke of wrote: "For all the heft behind it, Space Force should be an easy win. Ten episodes later, it's safer to say that Space Force is really just okay."

References[] External links[] Since 2015Since 2016Since 2017Live-actionEnglishOtherNon-fictionAnimationSince 2018Live-actionEnglishOtherNon-fictionAnimation Since 2019Live-actionEnglishOtherNon-fictionAnimationSince 2020Live-actionEnglishOtherNon-fictionAnimation[//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1] Retrieved from "": Hidden categories: Trump Unveils New Space Force Logo, Inciting 'Star Trek' Fan ...

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