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 Air Force, Army and Navy are expected to transfer between $10,000,000,000 and $12,000,000,000 worth of space programs and personnel to the Space Force between 2021 and 2024.
The Space Force headquarters would start with about 200 people and could expand over time to 500 or 1,000 people.
The Department of Defense expected to request approximately $270,000,000 in its fiscal year 2020 budget to stand up a Space Force headquarters, a Space Development Agency and U.S. Space Command.
In subsequent years after 2021, additional resources will be transferred from the Army and the Navy to fully implement an independent U.S. Space Force service.
The overall size of the Space Force is projected to reach about 11,000 personnel by 2024.
A congressionally mandated Pentagon report in August 2018 stated that a whole-of-government approach would be needed to achieve the president’s vision for a Space Force and recommended improved integration with organizations including the National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
A proposal to establish a U.S. Space Force is being finalized and will be sent to the White House for approval before going to Capitol Hill with the fiscal year 2020 budget request.
SPD-4 requires the secretary of defense to conduct periodic reviews and recommend a timeline for spinning off the Space Force into its own military department.
The Pentagon is finalizing a legislative proposal and budget request for fiscal year 2020 to submit to the White House that recommends creating a Space Force with its own four-star chief of staff and a civilian undersecretary of space under the Department of the Air Force.
A draft space policy directive orders the Defense Department to establish a U.S. Space Force as a sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces within the Department of the Air Force.
Thornberry expects the House Armed Services Committee to consider the administration’s Space Force plan and to develop its own proposal for the 2020 NDAA.
CNA estimated the cost to stand up the proposed Space Force headquarters and associated resources at up to $4,500,000,000 over five years.
The Center for Naval Analyses produced a study to develop a plan to establish a Space Force as a separate military department.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson projected costs of $13,000,000,000 over five years for both a Department of the Space Force and U.S. Space Command, with about half of that amount attributed to the department.
Patrick Shanahan directed in a 2018-09-10 memo that the Working Group for Space Force Implementation should meet at least weekly to ensure strong coordination and unity of effort.
The Department of Defense must request funding for the Space Force in the fiscal year 2020 budget proposal due 2019-02-04.
The proposal recommends a 180-day period for the Secretary of Defense to report on the personnel needs for the Space Force.
The Space Force would include active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard components.
Vice President Mike Pence was briefed on the Space Force proposal at the Pentagon.
The Space Force would have a civilian Undersecretary for Space who reports to the Secretary of the Air Force.