U.S. History

Reaching beyond the Earth, the newest military department claims space.

“Space, the final frontier,” said William Shatner as Captain James Tiberius Kirk in the intro to every episode of the 1960s television show Star Trek. Kirk and his crew were military members of Starfleet whose mission was, among other things, “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” It would be 53 years from the first episode of the TV series to the reality of the US Space Force.

Space Force Joins the Other Military Services

As military tasks that clearly involved operations in Earth’s orbit and beyond became more numerous and complex, the responsibilities and capacity of the Army, Navy, and Air Force were stretched. The US needed a devoted military branch to address the unique challenges of operations in space. The result was the National Defense Authorization Act that established the US Space Force (USSF) on Dec. 20, 2019. As the USSF web page explains:

“The US military is faster, better connected, more informed, precise, and lethal because of Space…Space capabilities are woven into the fabric of daily life. Satellites connect people in every corner of the globe, monitor weather patterns, carry television broadcasts, and the timing and navigation services of the GPS constellation power global financial networks, enable international commerce, synchronize cell phone networks, and optimize critical infrastructure.”

Members of the USSF are called Guardians. They have their own unique uniforms and are developing a culture different from the other services. Currently, there are over 9,000 members of the Space Force. It has taken responsibility for six installations, including Patrick Space Force Base (SFB) in Florida, Buckley SFB, Peterson SFB and Schiever SFB in Colorado, and Los Angeles Air Force Base and Vandenberg SFB in California. Among the critical national security missions assigned to the USSF are tracking space objects, of which there are currently more than 47,000 known in orbit. The USSF also supports commercial and Defense Department rocket launches “from initial development to final execution. Crews on the ground construct and program rockets to meet requirements, while our global satellite operators rack environment factors to ensure launches are safe and seamlessly successful,” according to Space Force information.

1. The Space Force is the newest branch of the US military, established during Donald Trump’s first term as president in 2019.
2. The Space Force took over several US Air Force bases and took on many of the responsibilities from the other services regarding space.
3. Space Force service members are called Guardians, and they have their own uniforms and are developing their own culture, distinct from the other services.