Global InformationUnited States Space Force information
| United States Space Force | |
|---|---|
 Space Force Delta | |
| Founded | 20 December 2019 |
| Country |  United States |
| Type | Space force |
| Size |
|
| Part of | United States Armed Forces Department of the Air Force |
| Headquarters | The Pentagon Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.[4] |
| Motto(s) |
|
| March | "Semper Supra"[6] |
| Anniversaries | 20 December |
| Equipment | See spacecraft and space systems |
| Engagements | As Air Force Space Command
As U.S. Space Force
|
| Website |
|
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief |  President Joe Biden |
| Secretary of Defense |  Lloyd Austin |
| Secretary of the Air Force |  Frank Kendall III |
| Chief of Space Operations |  Gen B. Chance Saltzman |
| Vice Chief of Space Operations |  Gen Michael Guetlein |
| Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force |  CMSSF John F. Bentivegna |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Seal |  |
| Delta, Globe, and Orbit |  |
| Logo |  |
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the space service branch of the United States Armed Forces. Along with the Air Force, it is part of the Department of the Air Force, led by the secretary of the Air Force.[8] Its military heads are the chief of space operations, who is one of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the vice chief of space operations.
The Space Force is the smallest U.S. armed service, consisting of 8,600 military personnel.[1] It operates 77 spacecraft in total across various programs such as GPS, Space Fence, military satellite communications constellations, X-37B spaceplanes, U.S. missile warning system, U.S. space surveillance network, and the Satellite Control Network. Under the Goldwater–Nichols Act, the Space Force is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces, which are then presented to the unified combatant commands, predominantly to United States Space Command, for operational employment.
The U.S. Space Force traces its roots to the beginning of the Cold War, with the first military space programs starting in 1945. In 1954, the Air Force established the Western Development Division, the world's first dedicated space organization, under General Bernard Schriever and unified its space forces under Air Force Space Command in 1982. U.S. space forces have participated in every U.S. conflict since the Vietnam War, most notably in the Persian Gulf War, often referred to as the first "space war".
The first discussion of a U.S. Space Force occurred under President Dwight Eisenhower's administration in 1958 and it was nearly established in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative. The 2001 Space Commission argued for the creation of a Space Corps around 2007–2011, but due to the September 11 attacks and war on terror any plans were put on hold. In 2017, Representatives Jim Cooper and Mike Rogers' proposal for a Space Corps passed the House but failed in the Senate. In 2019, the House and Senate resolved their differences to pass the United States Space Force Act. It was signed into law by President Donald Trump, establishing the U.S. Space Force as the first new independent military service since the Army Air Forces were reorganized as the U.S. Air Force in 1947.[9]
- ^ a b Air Force, U.S. (18 January 2023). "Department of the Air Force FY 2023 Budget Overview" (PDF). U.S. Air Force. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "2021 USAF & USSF Almanac: Personnel". Air Force Magazine. 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Space Force brochure" (PDF). www.airforcemag.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Space Force Fact Sheet". Spaceforce.mil. United States Space Force. 20 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "The U.S. Space Force logo and motto". United States Space Force. 22 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Space Force reveals official song: "Semper Supra"". United States Space Force. 20 September 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b Dudney, Robert S. (1 June 2003). "Space Power in the Gulf". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
- ^ "Fact Sheet". United States Space Force. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ Erwin, Sandra (12 December 2019). "Space Force proponents in Congress warn Air Force: 'We will watch you like a hawk'". SpaceNews. Retrieved 19 July 2023.