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.
Patrick Shanahan directed the DoD comptroller to prepare a budget proposal by 2018-10-15 for establishment of a Space Force to be included in the fiscal year 2020 request.
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan issued a detailed plan in a 2018-09-10 memo titled "Space Reorganization and Management Tasks" to create a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces by fiscal year 2020.
The Pentagon’s Chief Management Officer is responsible for setting up a new office for an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space and must provide a plan by 2018-10-01 that includes options for consolidating civilian oversight of space and outlines how it could evolve into the future headquarters of the Space Force.
The Pentagon had not provided a cost estimate for creating a new Space Force at the time of the report.
President Trump wants the Department of Defense to appoint an assistant secretary of defense for space to oversee the transition to a Space Force, according to Vice President Mike Pence’s 2018-08-09 remarks.
The Department of Defense is working with Congress on legislation to create a separate department for a Space Force.
Doug Loverro estimates that a small, efficiently structured Space Force could be funded with $500,000,000 a year if savings are realized by eliminating redundant programs such as overlapping research and development projects.
A Pentagon report to Congress on 2018-08-09 defines the Space Force mission as protecting the economy through deterrence of malicious activities, ensuring space systems meet national security requirements, and providing vital capabilities to joint and coalition forces.
The administration proposes to establish a Space Force as a separate military branch and aimed to make the United States Department of Space Force a reality by 2020, subject to congressional approval.
Wesley Hallman raised the possibility that Space Force overhead could divert resources from building a 355-ship navy and from buying 1,763 F-35 fighters that the Air Force needs.
Vice President Mike Pence said the administration would ask Congress for $8,000,000,000 over the next five years to establish the Space Force.
The Pentagon plans to establish a Space Force, as announced by Vice President Mike Pence.
Mattis affirmed that the Space Force is necessary to protect U.S. interests in space.
Congress will seek to know the full costs of creating a Space Force before approving funding.
The Department of Defense will create the governance and support functions of the Space Force and will build a legislative proposal for congressional consideration as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 budget cycle.
The DoD report states the Department of Defense will establish an affordable and efficient operating structure with accountable civilian oversight to provide service and support functions for the Space Force.
A report outlining options for how to create a Space Force is expected to be released 2018-08-06.
If created, a Space Force could comprise 35,000 to 40,000 personnel from Air Force Space Command, the Army's space cadre, and the intelligence community.
Congress was poised to include legislation to create a Space Force in the 2020 defense policy bill.
On 2018-06-18, President Trump ordered Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to immediately begin the process to establish a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.