The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the U.S. Department of Defense, established in December 2019. Its primary role is to organize, train, and equip space forces to protect U.S. and allied interests in space by ensuring space superiority. The USSF manages space launch operations, satellite operations, space environment surveillance, and satellite defense, and partners with organizations like NASA on space domain awareness and planetary defense. Key areas of focus include missile warning, satellite communications, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The Space Force’s late April 2026 budget request proposed terminating the 3.4 billion dollar Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar program managed by Northrop Grumman.
The late April 2026 Space Force budget request shifted all polar tracking responsibilities to an upcoming smallsat mesh network.
The U.S. Space Force is funding Dynamic Space Operations.
Troy Meink met with local aerospace companies that work with Space Systems Command to provide national defense capabilities to the U.S. Space Force.
The Space Force’s strategy for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture relies on deploying mega-constellations of 300 to 500 small interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit.
The Mission Robotic Vehicle will attach a payload to a U.S. Space Force satellite.
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in a routine test launch.
General John W. “Jay” Raymond was the first Chief of Space Operations of the United States Space Force.
The U.S. Space Force awarded up to US$3.2 billion in initial contracts to 12 companies for space-based interceptor prototyping for Golden Dome.
Lockheed Martin Space has handed GPS III SV10 over to the U.S. Space Force.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the U.S. Space Force’s Golden Dome missile defence initiative would cost about US$1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate over 20 years.
The US Space Force’s FY27 Space Data Network procurement will define next-generation waveform, data protocol, and laser communication specifications.
Planet Labs launched three Pelican satellites on SpaceX’s CAS500-2 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on 3 May 2026.
The US Space Force requested $1.5 billion in research and development and $1.6 billion in procurement for the Space Data Network backbone in its FY27 budget.
The Falcon 9 launch took place at 6:05 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Rocket Lab is developing advanced spacecraft for the operational needs of the United States Space Force.
Rocket Lab is developing responsive launch capabilities for the United States Space Force.
Rocket Lab hosted United States Space Force Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman at its facilities.
SpaceX will launch the Globalstar HIBLEO-4 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The U.S. Space Force awarded up to US$3.2 billion in initial contracts to 12 companies to begin rapid prototyping of Golden Dome’s space-based interceptor network.