The U.S. Air Force (USAF) plays a significant role in the space industry, historically serving as the Department of Defense's executive agent for space, and developing early military space programs and launch vehicles. Although the U.S. Space Force was established as an independent branch in 2019, the Air Force continues to contribute to space operations, including training personnel, research and development, and maintaining partnerships. The USAF's space-related activities encompass satellite operations, missile warning, communication support, and collaboration with allies to ensure regional stability. Key partners include the U.S. Space Force, other branches of the military, and international allies.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
The Air Force intends to select two launch-service suppliers in 2020 so the winners have time to prepare vehicles to start launching payloads in 2022.
Air Force Space Command is expanding the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
The U.S. Air Force authorized Lockheed Martin to survey a second Space Fence site in Western Australia but did not request funding to build a second Space Fence in its 2020 budget.
NASA awarded SpaceX a contract to launch the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on a Falcon 9 in June 2021 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
An Air Force 90-day Space Strategy Study completed by the Air Force and the intelligence community concluded that LEO-based systems would be vulnerable during military conflicts and that the Department of Defense should not be taking that risk.
The Air Force will have $30,000,000 to $40,000,000 available for the Space Pitch Day funding pool.
Heather Wilson will step down as Secretary of the Air Force on 2019-05-31 to become president of the University of Texas El Paso.
The U.S. Air Force will award up to $40,000,000 this fall at a live Space Pitch Day event in Los Angeles for winners of Defense Department SBIR contracts to compete for additional funding.
Winners of Defense Department small business innovation research (SBIR) contracts are eligible to compete for up to $40,000,000 at the Air Force’s Space Pitch Day.
The 2017 FedBizOpps solicitation stated that a multi-band, multi-mission system may augment or replace the Air Force Satellite Control Network and the Launch and Test Range System by providing Telemetry, Tracking and Control capabilities and radar functions.
The inaugural Air Force live pitch event in New York awarded 51 small businesses $8,000,000 in a single day and paid those businesses instantly using a government credit card.
Rocket Communications received an Air Force contract four years ago to develop a user experience software tool to help developers create apps for Enterprise Ground Services-compliant ground control systems.
The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is developing an Enterprise Ground Services Service Catalog to support government and industry software developers.
The Air Force increased SpEC’s budget fivefold to $500,000,000 in 2019.
Two days after the 2019-03-27 test, the U.S. Air Force was tracking 250 pieces of debris created when India’s PDV-Mk II intercepted Microsat-R at 280 km.
Blue Canyon Technologies was selected by the Air Force through SpEC three weeks after submitting a proposal to work on Tetra, a program exploring missions, tactics, techniques, and procedures for microsatellites in geosynchronous orbit.
The Air Force and the intelligence community completed a 90-day Space Strategy Study that concluded LEO-based systems would be vulnerable during military conflicts.
Navigation Satellite Technology-3 is an Air Force program focused on augmenting GPS with small satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
The Air Force’s 2020 budget proposal requests $138,000,000 to develop and test software for Enterprise Ground Services.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson directed a team led by Air Force Maj. Gen. Clinton Crozier on 2019-02-21 to develop an initial work plan to establish a Space Force.