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.
After President Trump directed the Department of Defense in June 2018 to stand up a Space Force as a separate military service, Patrick Shanahan led the effort to write a legislative proposal and persuade lawmakers to authorize the new branch.
Heather Wilson created a Space Force Planning Task Force to establish a space service.
John Stopher worked closely with former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to prepare the Air Force to establish a Space Force.
The HASC amendment must be reconciled with the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2020 NDAA, which authorizes a U.S. Space Force led by a four-star Commander.
Former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson created a Space Force Planning Task Force before her departure on 2019-05-31.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan advocated establishing a Space Force, a U.S. Space Command, and a Space Development Agency to ensure the United States stays ahead of adversaries advancing their space capabilities.
The Pentagon proposed creating a Space Force headquarters under the Air Force led by a four-star chief of staff who would be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a civilian undersecretary of the Air Force for space.
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 25-2 on 2019-05-22 to approve establishment of the U.S. Space Force in its markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.
House appropriators denied funding for the Space Force in their version of the 2020 defense budget and called on the Department of Defense to study alternatives.
The committee agreed with the Department of Defense recommendation to establish the U.S. Space Force within the U.S. Air Force.
The Senate Armed Services Committee supported the Department of Defense’s funding request of $72,400,000 to stand up the Space Force in its NDAA markup.
The House Appropriations Committee will not support the Department of Defense’s $72,400,000 request to establish a Space Force.
The Congressional Budget Office analyzed future costs for the Space Force, U.S. Space Command, and the Space Development Agency and projected costs for the Space Force significantly higher than $2,000,000,000 over five years.
Only 500 Army military and civilian personnel would transfer to the Space Force according to written answers provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee by Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville.
The Pentagon blueprint submitted to Congress creates a new Space Force branch of about 15,000 people mostly by transferring personnel from the other services.
The legislation restricts funds for the Space Development Agency and provides $15,000,000 to further study the establishment of a Space Force.
The bill includes $15,000,000 for expenses necessary to study and refine plans for the potential establishment of a Space Force as a branch of the Armed Forces.
The Pentagon requested $72,000,000 to begin standing up the Space Force headquarters.
The Department of Defense projects five-year costs of $2,000,000,000 for the Space Force.
The 2019-05-08 Congressional Budget Office report estimated that standing up an independent Space Force under the Air Force, a U.S. Space Command and a Space Development Agency would increase Department of Defense annual costs by $1,100,000,000 to $1,900,000,000 and incur one-time costs of $1,800,000,000 to $4,700,000,000.