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 estimated that about 20 NTS-3 satellites would be needed to provide global PNT coverage.
L3Harris delivered the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) to the U.S. Air Force on 2023-01-26.
Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on 2023-01-26 and urged him to reverse the Air Force’s decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters.
The Department of the Air Force’s Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) Vanguard program reached a major milestone in preparation for the satellite’s launch in late 2023.
NTS-3 is managed by the AFRL Transformational Capabilities Office and has program partners in both the U.S. Space Force and the U.S. Air Force.
L3Harris Technologies delivered the NTS-3 space vehicle to an Air Force Research Laboratory integration and test facility at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center received the Personal Locator Beacon alert for the 2022-06-10 Utah hikers and notified the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, which launched a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter to the provided coordinates.
The SARSAT Mission Control Center at NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland sends distress location information to Rescue Coordination Centers operated by the U.S. Air Force for land rescues and by the U.S. Coast Guard for water rescues.
Lockheed Martin built 10 GPS III satellites under a 2008 contract from the U.S. Air Force and will produce at least 10 more GPS IIIF satellites.
Raytheon BBN was awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force to develop a rocket cargo mission planning and Command and Control system for the USAF.
Quasi-Zenith Satellite System components were loaded on a transport vehicle inside the 66th Logistics Readiness Squadron facility at Hanscom Air Force Base on 2023-01-05.
The optical sensors were developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory under a 2019 agreement with the U.S. Air Force.
Raytheon Intelligence & Space won a four-year, $8,700,000 contract on 2023-01-17 to develop mission planning software for the U.S. Air Force rocket cargo program.
Most of the training infrastructure used by the Space Force was inherited from the Air Force.
The U.S. Air Force began collecting weather imagery in 2020 with the former GOES-13 satellite, which NOAA launched in 2006 and retired in 2018.
Rogers and Cooper wrote the language to establish a Space Corps under the Department of the Air Force in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.
Steven Kwast retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2019 after serving 33 years.
COSMIC-2 is a joint program of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Taiwan’s National Space Organization, NOAA, and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research that launched in 2019.
The SWOT satellite was launched on 2022-12-16, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The U.S. Air Force had planned to buy only 10 Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) satellites but Congress compelled the service to buy WGS-11 and is adding funds 2022 presumably to buy WGS-12.