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 Alpha launch occurred on 2021-09-02 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Virgin Orbit won a $35,000,000 Space Force contract last year for three launches to be scheduled over the next two years.
The U.S. Space Force paid $28,000,000 for the TacRL-2 launch.
The demonstration was part of Omnispace's Phase II Small Business Innovation and Research contract in cooperation with U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command.
Firefly Aerospace’s first launch of its Alpha rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base ended in failure when the rocket exploded about two and a half minutes after liftoff on 2021-09-02.
Alpha is scheduled to lift off during a four-hour window that opens at 9 p.m. Eastern on 2021-09-02 from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The launch of Landsat 9 on an Atlas 5 from Vandenberg Space Force Base slipped from 2021-09-16 to no earlier than 2021-09-23 due to pandemic demands for medical liquid oxygen impacting delivery of the needed liquid nitrogen supply.
The Defense Logistics Agency informed the Landsat 9 project on 2021-08-23 that liquid nitrogen supplies at Vandenberg Space Force Base were critically low and could not support upcoming prelaunch test activities or the launch itself.
Liquid nitrogen (LN2) is used to create gaseous nitrogen needed to support launch site activities at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Firefly Aerospace scheduled the inaugural launch of its Alpha rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on 2021-09-02 during a four-hour window that opens at 9 p.m. Eastern.
The Space Force launched the Tactically Responsive Launch-2 (TacRL-2) mission on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket.
The U.S. Space Force was established when it was signed into law in December 2019.
The Space Force plans to procure tactically responsive launch missions through the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4.
Air Force and Space Force leadership completed a report required by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act detailing how they would organize Guard and Reserve components within the Space Force.
Representative Doug Lamborn and Representative Jason Crow introduced legislation on 2021-08-30 to establish a Space National Guard as a reserve component of the U.S. Space Force.
This 2021-08-28 mission was the first of two launches for the U.S. Space Force under a contract announced 2021-08-05.
The BE-4 engine is being developed with government funding and the Space Force has access to all BE-4 test data.
The U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force are providing funding for commercial firms developing propulsion systems that can produce significant thrust for mission requirements including collision avoidance.
Phase Four won a contract on 2021-08-18 at the U.S. Space Force’s first SpaceWERX Pitch Day to fuel its Maxwell engine with the green propellant ASCENT developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.
CAMX Power LLC signed a $1,700,000 contract with the United States Space Force to develop, fabricate, and deliver high-energy, long-life 18650 format batteries in 18 months.