84-477: Space Training and Readiness Command ( STAR Command or STARCOM ) is the United States Space Force 's education , training , doctrine , and test field command . It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base , Colorado. Space Training and Readiness Command was first established on 1 November 1993 as the U.S. Air Force Space Warfare Center under Air Force Space Command and simply renamed to
168-674: A Space Corps or Space Force in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The idea of establishing a Space Force was resurrected in the late 2010s in response to Russian and Chinese military space developments, resulting in the Space Force's establishment on 20 December 2019 during the Trump Administration . The Space Force is organized as part of the Department of the Air Force alongside the U.S. Air Force , its coequal sister service. The Department of
252-516: A Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force in the mid-term, which would evolve into a Department of the Space Force in the long-term. The Rumsfeld Commission expected the transition from Air Force Space Command to a fully independent Space Force to occur in between 2006 and 2011. Air Force leadership reacted extremely poorly to the Rumsfeld Commission's recommendations. The day after
336-399: A commission to examine the organization and management of national security space. The Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization, better known as the 2001 Space Commission or the Rumsfeld Commission, released its report in 2001. The Rumsfeld Commission noted the strong risk of a "Space Pearl Harbor," harking back to Imperial Japan's surprise attack on
420-453: A full color U.S. flag , sparking jokes about fighting on the forest moon of Endor from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi , while its distinctive service dress drew comparisons to Colonial Fleet uniforms from Battlestar Galactica or Starfleet uniforms from Star Trek . While the Space Force noted that its camouflage combat uniform was appropriate since space operators deploy to combat zones on
504-548: A fully independent Space Force by 2011. While the United States' focus shifted from space to counterterrorism, the Russian Armed Forces and Chinese People's Liberation Army realized the military benefits that could be gleaned from space, as well as the incredible reliance the United States put on its space forces. Throughout the 2000s, Russian and Chinese space and counterspace capabilities began to increase. In 2001,
588-543: A global space. Through space, the U.S. military and its allies can see, communicate, and navigate. Global mission operations also protect U.S. forces on Earth through early warning of incoming missiles and other types of attack. The Space Force describes global mission operations as allowing the rest of the U.S. military to defend the air, land, and sea. Missions that support global mission operations include missile warning , satellite communications , and positioning, navigation, and timing . Assured space access ensures that
672-461: A military responsibility until the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was created in 1958. The military shifted from conducting their own space exploration programs to supporting NASA's, providing the agency with its astronauts and space launch vehicles , while also conducting astronaut recovery and supporting space launches from the Air Force's Eastern Range . The Air Force
756-506: A new military service...would be a dramatic step. Perhaps a "Space Corps" would be a step toward a Space Force. Maybe the Air Force will preempt these dramatic changes by truly becoming the "Space and Air Force." The idea of a separate service for space originated in the 1960s. Military space activities were briefly consolidated under the Advanced Research Projects Agency in 1958, loosely centralizing space activities under
840-414: A separate military department, to be known as the Department of the Space Force. The Space Force is currently organized as a service under the Department of the Air Force , more closely mirroring the concept of a Space Corps rather than a fully independent Space Force. Senator Bob Smith , the 2001 Rumsfeld Commission, and 2008 Allard Commission each envisioned that a Space Corps would first be created under
924-507: A single organization. The Air Force, Army, and Navy feared that it would evolve into a "fourth service" for space, before authorities were returned to the service. The first direct call for a U.S. Space Force occurred in 1982, prior to Air Force Space Command 's establishment or the Strategic Defense Initiative 's public announcement. As part of a report recommending the acceleration U.S. space-based laser weapon development,
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#17328513557131008-486: A study calling for its transfer to the Space Force. National Security Space Institute The National Security Space Institute ( NSSI ) is a unit in the United States Space Force 's Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base , Colorado , it provides space professional military education to the military space professionals in the United States and its allies. NSSI's history can be traced back as far as 2001 when
1092-455: Is an historic event and a strategic imperative for our Nation. Space has become so important to our way of life, our economy and our national security that we must be prepared as a Nation to protect it from hostile actions. As the U.S. Space Force was established on 20 December 2019, General Jay Raymond , commander of U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command , became its first member and chief of space operations . Air Force Space Command
1176-619: The United States Space Force Act , the Space Force is organized, trained, and equipped to: The Department of Defense further defines the specified functions of the Space Force to: The Space Force further breaks down its mission into three core functions, which align directly to its mission statement to "secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space:" Space superiority defends against space and counterspace threats by protecting spacecraft in space or protecting against attacks enabled by adversary spacecraft, requiring that
1260-532: The 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron on 10 March 2006, assigning it to the 595th Space Group. Starting in 2006, the Air Force began to move to close all of its battlelabs and on 2 November 2007, the Space Battlelab was inactivated. This was followed by the 576th Flight Test Group being reassigned to Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 December 2009, as part of the transfer of missile responsibilities from Space Command to Global Strike Command. On 1 April 2013,
1344-426: The 6595th Aerospace Test Wing as the 6595th Missile Test Group, before being redesignated as the 6595th Test and Evaluation Group in 1988. Following its activation, the 17th Test Squadron and 576th Flight Test Squadron were realigned under the 595th Space Group. The 527th Space Aggressor Squadron was also realigned on 23 October 2002 and the 25th Space Control Tactics Squadron , renamed the 25th Space Range Squadron ,
1428-560: The Air Force Research Laboratory . The Space Force also began incorporating space personnel transfers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps. In 2022, it the Naval Satellite Operations Center and Army's Satellite Operations Brigade transferred to the Space Force, putting satellite communications under a single service for the first time in history. In 2023, it assumed responsibility for
1512-491: The Army Air Forces , tasked General Bernard Schriever to integrate with the scientific community to identify and develop technologies that could be beneficial for the new U.S. Air Force in the next global conflict. Identifying the importance of space, the U.S. Army , U.S. Navy , and U.S. Air Force each started their own separate space and rocket programs. The U.S. Air Force created the first military space organization in
1596-500: The Department of the Navy . The Space Force's three field commands (FLDCOM) are purpose-built for specific activities, aligning to the various institutional responsibilities to organize, train, and equip Guardians. Component field commands (C-FLDCOM) coordinate and integrate space forces into planning and current operations within unified combatant commands . Direct reporting units (DRU) are hubs of innovation and intelligence expertise within
1680-489: The Government Accountability Office recommended the U.S. Air Force be reorganized as the U.S. Aerospace Force or that an independent U.S. Space Force be created. Ultimately, a Congressional proposal to rename the U.S. Air Force as the U.S. Aerospace Force and speculation that President Ronald Reagan may announce the creation of a U.S. Space Force accelerated Air Force plans to create a space command within
1764-585: The Kosmos 1408 and putting the International Space Station at risk. The Space Force is organized into a headquarters staff that provides leadership and guidance for the force; field commands that are responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Guardians; deltas that support field commands and are specialized by mission area; and squadrons which specialize in acquisitions, cyberspace operations, engineering, intelligence, and space operations. At
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#17328513557131848-595: The Persian Gulf War , which has been referred to as the "first space war." The Strategic Defense Initiative and creation of Air Force Space Command in the 1980s marked a renaissance for military space operations. Proposals for a U.S. Space Force were first seriously considered during the Reagan Administration as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative. Congress began exploring establishing
1932-638: The Russian Space Forces were reestablished as an independent arm and in 2007, China conducted a destructive anti-satellite missile test causing the single largest space debris generating event in history. In the aftermath of the Chinese ASAT test, Congress tasked the Allard Commission to reevaluate the Defense Department's space organization and management. The Allard Commission noted that
2016-595: The Secretary of Defense to conduct a periodic review to determine when to recommend the President seek legislation to establish the Department of the Space Force. Following the Space Force's establishment there have been a number of calls to rename the Department of the Air Force to the Department of the Air and Space Forces to reflect its composition of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Congress previously explored renaming
2100-506: The Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was activated on 24 July 2020 under Space Operations Command to begin preparing the groundwork for STARCOM's activation as the Space Force's third field command on 23 August 2021. The U.S. Air Force Space Warfare Center (SWC) was established on 1 November 1993 at Falcon Air Force Base under Air Force Space Command to better enhance military space capabilities. On 1 July 1994, its name
2184-616: The Space Warfare Center ( SWC ) on 1 July 1994. On 1 March 2006, the Space Warfare Center was redesignated as the Space Innovation and Development Center ( SIDC ). The Space Innovation and Development Center was inactivated on 1 April 2013 and its responsibilities were transferred to Air Combat Command 's United States Air Force Warfare Center . Following the establishment of the U.S. Space Force as an independent service,
2268-574: The Space and Missile Systems Center from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Space Command and establishing the National Security Space Institute . Ultimately, the Rumsfeld Commission's recommendations remained unfulfilled because of the higher priority placed on counterterrorism after the September 11 attacks , canceling plans for a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force or
2352-552: The Vietnam War , with Air Force weather and communications spacecraft supporting ground, sea, and air operations. During Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, satellite communications were used to conduct command and control for the first time, while Operation El Dorado Canyon and Operation Just Cause marked the first time that major U.S. forces incorporated information from space-based intelligence systems. The Persian Gulf War marked
2436-703: The unified combatant commands , assuming space component responsibility from the U.S. Air Force. One of the primary reasons the Space Force was created was to consolidate space forces from across the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy. In 2020, the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was established to form the foundation for Space Training and Readiness Command and incorporate Air Force space units spread across Air Combat Command and Air Education and Training Command , while Space Systems Command incorporated space acquisitions activities across Air Force Materiel Command , although, notably it did not incorporate space research and development conducted by
2520-640: The Air Force Space Operations School was activated on 28 July 2001 under the Space Warfare Center (later redesignated as Space Innovation and Development Center) at Schriever Air Force Base , Colorado. On 2004, it was redesignated as the National Security Space Institute and realigned under the Air Force Space Command and was subsequently transferred to its current location at Peterson Air Force Base. In 2009, it
2604-503: The Air Force did successfully field the Program 437 anti-satellite weapon system, which used nuclear Thor missiles to intercept enemy spacecraft. Although most military space forces were organized under the Air Force, they were still fragmented within several different major commands. Recognizing rapid growth of space forces and the need to centralize them under one command, the Air Force established Air Force Space Command in 1982. This
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2688-587: The Air Force is headed by the civilian secretary of the Air Force , while the U.S. Space Force is led by the Chief of Space Operations . The U.S. Space Force's status as part of the Department of the Air Force is intended to be an interim measure towards a fully independent Department of the Space Force, led by a civilian secretary of the Space Force. Secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space. The Space Force's statutory responsibilities are outlined in 10 U.S.C. § 9081 and originally introduced in
2772-450: The Air Force or a separate Department of the Space Force to unify national security space. It took until 2017 for members of Congress to act on the recommendations of the Rumsfeld and Allard commissions to create a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force. Representatives Mike Rogers and Jim Cooper unveiled a bipartisan proposal to establish a Space Corps within the Department of
2856-570: The Air Force's major commands. It also consolidated Air Force wings and groups into mission deltas, a formation roughly equivalent to an Army Brigade Combat Team or Air Force expeditionary wing, and space base deltas (briefly known as garrisons), equivalent to an Army garrison or Air Force air base wing. It also began to rename former Air Force bases and station to Space Force bases and station, starting with Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . It also established component field commands to serve as Space Force components at
2940-461: The Air Force, however it experienced significant opposition from the Air Force and Defense Department, failing in the Senate. However, the proposal was resurrected in 2018 when President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the creation of a Space Force and directed the Defense Department to reverse its opposition and develop plans for its establishment. The Trump Administration plan for the U.S. Space Force
3024-530: The Army's Joint Tactical Ground Station , putting all space-based missile warning under the Space Force. The Space Force's first significant combat action occurred less than a month after its establishment, providing missile warning when Iran launched missile strikes against U.S. troops at Al Asad Airbase on 7 January 2020. In 2021, the Russian Federation conducted an anti-satellite weapons test, destroying
3108-520: The Commission was publicly released Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael E. Ryan declared "an independent Space Force or Corps was not warranted for at least another 50 years." General Ryan doubled down over the following year, stating that a Space Force should only be considered once space operations moved beyond Earth orbit. Despite the Air Force's hostility to the idea of a Space Corps or Space Force, they did meet some recommendations by transferring
3192-399: The Department of the Air Force as an interim measure as it grew into a fully independent Space Force. In 2019, Space Policy Directive-4 directed the Space Force be initially established under the Department of the Air Force as the first step towards an independent Department of the Space Force, which would take over the entire space mission from the Department of the Air Force. It also directed
3276-484: The Department of the Air Force to the Department of the Aerospace Force in 1981 and congressional efforts were made in the 2000s to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, however both of these proposals failed under opposition from the Defense Department. Space Force advocates have also called for the creation of an undersecretary of the Air Force for space . This provision
3360-670: The Earth alongside the rest of the joint force and it saved money, it did not have a similar response for its service dress uniform, which were described as a "futuristic-looking" design by General Raymond. The Space Force's seal and delta insignia were also incorrectly derided as a rip-off of Star Trek' s Starfleet logo, despite being first adopted as a space symbol by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in 1962, four years before Star Trek first aired on television in 1966. Star Trek actor William Shatner settled
3444-621: The Persian Gulf War being coined "the first Space War." While U.S. space forces supported all U.S. military operations in the 1990s, Operation Allied Force marked the first use of Global Positioning System -aided munitions in a conflict, ushering in a new era of precision bombing. Following the September 11 attacks , U.S. space forces mobilized to respond as part of the Global War on Terrorism Operation Enduring Freedom , Operation Iraqi Freedom , and Operation Inherent Resolve . Creating
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3528-512: The Space Force and the Center for Strategic and International Studies has also proposed moving missile defense into the Space Force. The Army also continues to maintain a cadre of Functional Area 40 space operations officers, although over 85% indicated they would transfer to the Space Force if able. The Army is also maintaining the 1st Space Brigade , however the RAND Corporation has conducted
3612-455: The Space Force can deploy and sustain equipment in outer space. This includes space launches as well as controlling and steering spacecraft out of the way of oncoming space debris to avoid collisions. The Space Force describes assured access to space as being able to make sure it can continue launching and conducting space operations 24/7. Missions supporting space access include launch , range control, cyber , and space domain awareness . In
3696-506: The Space Force establish control of the domain. The Space Force describes that at a time and place of the United States' choosing it must be able to assure continued use of spacecraft and deny adversaries use of their spacecraft or space-enabled capabilities. Mission that support space superiority include orbital warfare , electromagnetic warfare , and space battle management . Global mission operations integrates joint functions across all domains (land, air, maritime, space, cyberspace) on
3780-569: The Space Force was in a 18 March 2019 briefing given by Task Force Tango, a planning group within Air Force Space Command and its mission was finalized later that year. In December 2020, the Space Training and Readiness Command Task Force was created, with Brigadier General Shawn Bratton , an Air National Guard officer, serving as planning lead and Chief Master Sergeant James P. Seballes senior enlisted leader. The creation of STARCOM
3864-534: The Space Force, providing new ideas or deep knowledge about highly specialized issues. While the Space Force's headquarters is in Washington, D.C., the rest of the service is spread across the United States and abroad, across 18 states and territories and 46 bases and installations as of 2024. As the United States Space Force matures, and as national security requires, it will become necessary to create
3948-565: The Space Innovation and Development Center, along with the 595th Space Group, were inactivated. The 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron was reassigned the 50th Space Wing . The remaining units were transferred to Air Combat Command , with the 17th Test Squadron becoming part of the 53rd Test Management Group and the 25th Space Range Squadron becoming part of the Nevada Test and Training Range . The first mention of STARCOM during planning for
4032-406: The Space Warfare Center was redesignated as the Space Innovation and Development Center (SIDC). As part of this change, the 25th Space Range Squadron and 527th Space Aggressor Squadron were scheduled to be transferred to Air Combat Command , however only the 527th Space Aggressors Squadron transferred to the 57th Adversary Tactics Group . Instead, the Space Innovation and Development Center activated
4116-465: The Space Warfare Center. This was followed by the realignment of the 576th Flight Test Squadron , which performed flight testing of the LGM-30G Minuteman III , from the 30th Operations Group to the Space Warfare Center on 22 February 1996. In 1997, the Air Force began standing up a series of battlelabs to foster innovation across its major commands and functions. The Air Force Space Battlelab
4200-653: The U.S. Air Force Academy to Patrick SFB, Space Delta 11 would move from Schriever SFB to Kirtland Air Force Base, and that Space Delta 12 would stay at Schriever SFB. Polaris symbolizes the guiding light of security and defending the space domain. This is the same star from the USSF logo . The delta is taken from the USSF Seal ; the Delta evokes historic ties to the earliest days of the U.S. Air Force space community, and symbolizes change and innovation. The dark and light shades of grey within
4284-400: The U.S. Pacific Fleet in 1941. It was extremely critical of the Air Force's treatment of space, with few witnesses expressing confidence that the Air Force would address the requirement to provide space capabilities to the other services or move beyond treating space as just a support capability for air operations. The most significant recommendation of the Rumsfeld Commission was the creation of
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#17328513557134368-416: The United States' dependence on space had increased, but comparatively little...[had] been achieved to make them more secure." It also noted, despite the recommendations of the Rumsfeld Commission, authority and responsibility for national security space remained fragmented and unfocused. Like the 2001 Rumsfeld Commission, the 2008 Allard Commission recommended establishing a Space Corps within the Department of
4452-565: The United States, an initiative of former Secretary of the Air Force Heather A. Wilson . Since 2019, the NSSI has grown from offering three courses to sixteen organized under two colleges: the College of Space Warfare and the College of Professional Development. The institute now serves more than 50 allied and friendly partners from across the globe. This United States Space Force article
4536-477: The activation of the field command. Space Delta 1 is located at Vandenberg Space Force Base , California , while the other deltas have to undergo a permanent base selection process. U.S. Armed Forces training and education commands United States Space Force As U.S. Space Force The United States Space Force ( USSF ) is the United States Armed Forces ' space service and one of
4620-410: The delta embody the 24/7 operations of the Space Force, while the placement and upward orientation of the delta reveals the central role of the Space Force in defending the space domain. The handle of the bow is made from lightning in homage to the Space Warfare Center and Space Innovation and Development Center's historic work to bring space to the fight in the sea , air and land domains, and linking
4704-487: The eight uniformed services of the United States . It is one of two independent space forces in the world. The United States Space Force traces its origins to the Air Force, Army, and Navy's military space programs created during the beginning of the Cold War . US military space forces first participated in combat operations during the Vietnam War and have participated in every U.S. military operation since, most notably in
4788-431: The establishment of a Space Force if the Air Force could not, or would not, embrace spacepower. An independent Department of the Space Force would ensure that space got its fair share of resources within the Defense Department, with Senator Smith calling for the creation of a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force as a bridge to a fully independent Space Force. In 2000, Senator Smith led Congress in establishing
4872-457: The existing military space forces across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. While the Navy and Air Force gave up all of their space forces, the greatest resistance to transferring space forces came from the Army. While the Army transferred its satellite communications and missile warning assets, there are still calls for it to transfer 1st Space Brigade and 100th Missile Defense Brigade to the Space Force. The Heritage Foundation has called for
4956-640: The first CORONA reconnaissance mission, recovering 3,000 feet of film from space and imaged 1.65 million square miles of the Soviet Union's territory. Concerned about the development of the Soviet Union's own space forces, the Air Force advocated for a military human spaceflight program. General Curtis LeMay described strong parallels between World War I aviation and 1960s space operations, noting how quickly flying evolved from chivalric and unarmed reconnaissance flights to combat efforts designed to destroy enemy air superiority . General LeMay believed that it
5040-515: The first time that military space forces were unleashed to their fullest extent. Over sixty spacecraft provided 90% of theater communications and command and control for a multinational army of 500,000 troops, weather support for commanders and mission planners, missile warning of Iraqi Scud missile launches, and satellite navigation for air and land forces moving across a featureless desert. The decisive role that space forces played directly enabled an overwhelming Coalition victory and led to
5124-475: The headquarters level, the Space Force is led by the Chief of Space Operations , a four-star general who reports to the Secretary of the Air Force and provides military advice to civilian leadership of the Department of Defense and the White House . Alongside the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force combine to form the Department of the Air Force, like how the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps combine to form
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#17328513557135208-570: The issue, recalling that Starfleet's logo was chosen as an homage to the Space Force's direct predecessors in military space operations. The service also chose the title "Guardian" to represent its personnel, becoming its counterpart to Soldier and Airman. The term "Guardian" has a long history within Air Force Space Command, originally serving as part of its motto: "Guardians of the High Frontier." The Space Force also adopted Semper Supra as its official motto and unveiled its service song , sharing
5292-501: The long haul, our safety as a nation may depend upon achieving "space superiority." Several decades from now, the important battles may not be sea battles or air battles, but space battles, and we should be spending a certain fraction of our national resources to ensure that we do not lag in obtaining space supremacy. The beginnings of the U.S. Space Force can be traced to the Aftermath of World War II . General Henry H. Arnold , commander of
5376-542: The main structure of the new field command. Colonel Peter J. Flores, who served as STAR Delta (P) commander, took command of Space Delta 12 . The field command's headquarters is temporarily located at Peterson Space Force Base while its permanent headquarters will be selected following a base selection process. In May 2023, the Department of the Air Force announced that Space Training and Readiness Command's permanent home would be Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. It also announced that Space Delta 10 would also be moving from
5460-469: The precursor organization to STARCOM while its establishment was still being planned. On 23 August 2021, STARCOM was activated as the Space Force's first field command following the inactivation of STAR Delta (P). Brigadier General Shawn Bratton took command as the first commander of STARCOM and Chief Master Sergeant Seballes became its first senior enlisted leader. Following the activation of STARCOM, five subordinate deltas were also activated that serves as
5544-580: The same name. The decision on if the Space Force's ranks would mirror the Army, like the Air Force and Marine Corps, or the Navy, generated significant controversy, with Congressman Dan Crenshaw introducing an amendment which would force the Space Force to pattern itself after the Navy's rank structure. Ultimately, the amendment failed and the Space Force followed an Air Force/Army/Marine Corps-based rank scheme. The Space Force began to officially incorporate former Air Force Space Command units in 2020 and 2021, standing up field commands to serve as counterparts to
5628-481: The same to STARCOM's new role of developing and fielding forces to fight and win in the space domain . The constellations of Noctua and Sagitta represent Athena , the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War. Noctua, Latin for owl, is a constellation which represents STARCOM's wisdom in training, and Saggita, Latin for arrow, represents STARCOM's constant readiness. STARCOM is composed of five deltas activated following
5712-458: The service gained its first astronaut when Colonel Michael S. Hopkins swore into the Space Force aboard the International Space Station on 18 December 2020. The Space Force also began to build out its culture and identity, however, it experienced several public relations challenges due to its perceived ties to science fiction and links to President Trump. The Space Force adopted the Army and Air Force's OCP Uniform with blue stitching and
5796-519: The service. Following the Persian Gulf War , the Air Force and Defense Department declared that "space power has now become as important to the nation as land, sea, and air power." Despite this public pronouncement, a growing section of Congress believed that space was being shortchanged and used only as an auxiliary to air operations. In 1998, drawing parallels between the challenges faced by post-World War I Army Aviators and post-Gulf War Air Force space operators, Senator Bob Smith publicly called for
5880-528: The wholesale transfer of United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command , to include the 100th Missile Defense Brigade and the 1st Space Brigade . The 100th Missile Defense Brigade operates the Ground Based Interceptor system and is located at Schriever Space Force Base , Vandenberg Space Force Base , and Fort Greely . Former Air Force space officers have called to move the missile defense and intercontinental ballistic missile mission to
5964-580: The world, establishing the Western Development Division in 1954 and placing it under the command of General Schriever. The Army followed a year later, creating the Army Ballistic Missile Agency under the leadership of General John Bruce Medaris and Dr. Wernher von Braun . The Army led the United States into space, launching the first American spacecraft, Explorer 1 , on 31 January 1958. Space exploration continued to be
6048-404: Was activated on 9 April 1997 and its initial focus was space surveillance . On 23 October 2000, the 527th Space Aggressor Squadron was activated as the first space aggressor unit . On 7 April 2000, the Space Warfare Center gained the 595th Test and Evaluation Group , which was redesignated as the 595th Space Group on 1 August 2002. The 595th Space Group was originally activated in 1970 under
6132-493: Was activated under it on 1 July 2004. Following the 2001 Space Commission report, Air Force Space Command established the United States Air Force Space Operations School on 28 June 2001. It was realigned under the 595th Space Group on 23 October 2002 and renamed to the National Security Space Institute on 1 October 2004, being realigned directly under Air Force Space Command . On 1 March 2006,
6216-525: Was announced on 30 June 2020 as one of three field commands in the Space Force. It was scheduled to be activated in 2021. In the interim, the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was activated on 24 July 2020 under Space Operations Command to consolidate the various space training and education units from the United States Air Force that was realigned to the Space Force. Reporting to Space Operations Command , STAR Delta (P) served as
6300-491: Was compared with the United States Army Air Corps ' Air Corps Tactical School in its role and purpose. It also was responsible for integrating air, space, and cyberspace capabilities in wargames and exercises, conducted advanced space training, and oversaw space experiments and the space ranges. On 21 July 1995, the 17th Test Squadron was activated to manage Air Force Space Command test programs and placed under
6384-438: Was followed by the establishment of the joint United States Space Command in 1985, aligning Air Force Space Command, Naval Space Command , and Army Space Command under a single operational commander. These two moves, along with the Strategic Defense Initiative 's establishment by President Ronald Reagan , led to a renaissance of military space operations in the 1980s. Space forces were first used in combat operations during
6468-627: Was immediately redesignated as United States Space Force, however, the command and its 16,000 Airmen technically remained part of the Air Force. On 3 April 2020, Chief Master Sergeant Roger A. Towberman became the Space Force's second member and was appointed its first senior enlisted leader . The service gained its first new second lieutenants when 86 members of the U.S. Air Force Academy class of 2020 became Space Force members 3 through 88 on 18 April 2020. Currently serving Air Force space operators began to become Space Force members in September 2020 and
6552-483: Was included in the Trump Administration's original legislative proposal to give the Space Force additional independence and autonomy but was removed by the Senate. There have also been numerous calls from inside and outside the Space Force for it to have its own public affairs and judge advocate generals, independent from Air Force. When the Space Force was established in 2019 it was intended to consolidate
6636-571: Was naive to believe that the same trends were not expected to be seen in space and must be prepared for. Although the Air Force made significant progress in developing the X-20 spaceplane , Manned Orbiting Laboratory , and Blue Gemini , opposition from the Department of Defense prevented operational fielding. The Air Force was also forced to cancel Project SAINT , a satellite inspector with satellite neutralization capabilities, when details were leaked to The New York Times in 1962. Despite these setbacks,
6720-548: Was outlined in Space Policy Directive-4, initially organizing the U.S. Space Force as part of the Department of the Air Force, but with plans to build out a separate Department of the Space Force in the future. In 2019, Congress passed legislation establishing the U.S. Space Force as a military service under the Department of the Air Force. On 20 December 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act
6804-594: Was realigned under Air Education and Training Command and remained there under various units in its Air University until 2020 when it was transferred to the Space Force to form part of the initial structure of STAR Delta (P). In August 2021, STAR Delta (P) was stood up as the USSF's third field command and given the name Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). In 2019, it established three new courses: Space 100, Space 200, and Space 300. It also started accepting participation of foreign nationals from coalition partners of
6888-419: Was recognized as the lead military service for space by the early 1960s, with the Army and Navy operating in supporting roles. Early military space efforts were focused on developing and fielding spacecraft to accomplish national objectives, with a focus on weather , reconnaissance and surveillance , communications , and navigation . On 18 August 1961, the Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office launched
6972-399: Was signed into law and the U.S. Space Force was established as the sixth armed service, meeting the Rumsfeld and Allard commissions' recommendations to create a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force, but still falling short of creating a separate Department of the Space Force. We are at the dawn of a new era for our Nation’s Armed Forces. The establishment of the U.S. Space Force
7056-569: Was simplified to the Space Warfare Center. The Space Warfare Center was created as a direct result of the Gulf War , where U.S. space capabilities were used more than any previous conflict, but post–war analysis indicated potential shortfalls. The Space Warfare Center was specifically tasked with integrating space forces with terrestrial forces, including working with the Air Force Doctrine Center and Air University to incorporate space. It
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