United States Space Force

United States Space Force

Space Force Delta
Founded20 December 2019; 4 years ago (2019-12-20)
Country United States
TypeSpace force
Size9,400 military personnel[1]
Part ofUnited States Armed Forces
Department of the Air Force
HeadquartersThe Pentagon
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.[2]
Motto(s)
  • Semper Supra
  • "Always above"[3]
March"Semper Supra"[4]
Anniversaries20 December
EquipmentSee spacecraft and space systems
Engagements

As U.S. Space Force

Website
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief President Joe Biden
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III
Chief of Space Operations Gen B. Chance Saltzman
Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen Michael Guetlein
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force CMSSF John F. Bentivegna
Insignia
Flag
Seal
Emblem

The United States Space Force (USSF) is the United States Armed Forces' space service and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is one of two independent space forces in the world.[6]

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 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 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 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.

  1. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions - U.S. Space Force". www.spaceforce.com.
  2. ^ "U.S. Space Force Fact Sheet". Spaceforce.mil. United States Space Force. 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  3. ^ "The U.S. Space Force logo and motto". United States Space Force. 22 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Space Force reveals official song: "Semper Supra"". United States Space Force. 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b Dudney, Robert S. (1 June 2003). "Space Power in the Gulf". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Space Force 101" (PDF). www.spaceforce.mil.