https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated November 16, 2022
Defense Primer: The United States Space Force
On December 20, 2019, the United States Space Force
(USSF) became the sixth branch of the Armed Forces. The
Space Force was established within the Department of the
Air Force (DAF) with the enactment of the FY2020
National Defense Authorization Act ([NDAA], P.L. 116-
92). The Secretary of the Air Force is responsible for
organizing, training, and equipping the Space Force and the
United States Air Force (USAF), two separate and distinct
military uniformed services (see Figure 1). The current
Chief of Space Operations (CSO) is General Chance
Saltzman, who serves as the principal uniformed advisor for
all space activities to the Secretary of the Air Force.
Figure 1. Space Force Within DOD and DAF
Source: Comprehensive Plan on the Organizational Structure of
USSF (Department of the Air Force, report to congressional
committees).
Overview
The FY2020 NDAA assigned the Space Force the
following duties: (1) protect the interests of the United
States in space; (2) deter aggression in, from, and to space;
and (3) conduct space operations. The military space forces
provide freedom of operation in, from, and to the space
domain. This includes both combat and space-focused
combat support functions intended to enable the United
States to promptly conduct offensive and defensive space
operations to protect U.S. and allied interests in all war-
fighting domains.
Except for functions unique to the space domain, in order to
reduce cost and avoid duplication, the Space Force initially
relied on the Air Force for approximately 75% of its
enabling functions; for example, logistics, base operating
support, civilian personnel management, IT support, and
financial management.
Space Force Stand-Up
The FY2020 NDAA redesignated Air Force Space
Command (AFSPC), located at Peterson Air Force Base,
CO, as the U.S. Space Force with Title 10 authorities.
Subsequently, an estimated 16,000 military and civilian
personnel assigned to the former AFSPC were reassigned to
the Space Force. According to DOD, space-related Air
Force personnel are to transfer into the Space Force and
become Space Force Guardians in a deliberate manner.
DOD also plans to consolidate space missions from across
the Armed Forces into the Space Force as appropriate and
consistent with law.
Mission
The U.S. Space Force is responsible for organizing,
training, and equipping Space Guardians to conduct global
space operations that enhance the way joint and coalition
forces fight, while also offering decision makers military
options to achieve national objectives. Other
responsibilities include “developing military space
professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing
the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space
forces to present to our Combatant Commands.” DOD has
said that the Space Force was formed to be lean, agile, and
mission-focused in order to remove the traditional layers of
bureaucracy. Some of the Space Force missions include
Space Superiority; Space Domain Awareness (military,
civil, and commercial); Offense and Defensive Space
Control; Command and Control of Space Forces & Satellite
Operations; Space Support Nuclear Command, Control,
Communications; and Missile Warning/Defense
Operations.
Space Force Organization
The Office of the Chief of Space Operations and the Space
Force Headquarters are located at the Pentagon. According
to the Space Force, “this staff will focus on establishing a
fully-functioning headquarters; preparing to execute the full
scope of its organize, train, and equip responsibilities; and,
in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force, developing a
detailed plan to transfer forces into the U.S. Space Force.”
To pursue its goal of being lean, agile, and mission-focused
and to remove the traditional layers of bureaucracy, the
Space Force created a command hierarchy (see Figure 2)
that consists of three levels: Field Commands led by a
three-star general officer; Deltas, by a Colonel; and
Squadrons, by field grade officers. The career tracks within
the Space Force include space-specific operations,
intelligence, engineering, acquisition, science, and
cyber/communications.
