March 11, 2024
Defense Primer: The United States Space Force
The United States Space Force (USSF) is the sixth branch
combatant commands. STARCOM prepares space forces
of the Armed Forces, established under the Department of
for operations. The Department of the Air Force has
the Air Force (DAF) with the enactment of the FY2020
selected Patrick SFB in Florida as STARCOM’s
National Defense Authorization Act ([NDAA], P.L. 116-
headquarters. SSC, based at Los Angeles Air Force Base,
92). According to the law, Title 10, U.S.C. §9081, “The
handles acquisition. On February 12, 2024, Saltzman
Space Force shall be organized, trained, and equipped to: 1)
announced the Space Force’s intent to stand up a fourth
provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from,
field command, Space Futures Command, to forecast
and to space; (2) conduct space operations; and (3) protect
threats, test concepts based on those forecasts, and design
the interests of the United States in space.”
missions.
Why the Space Force Was Created
Figure 1. U.S. Space Force within the Department of
The U.S. military operates 246 satellites, according to the
the Air Force
Union of Concerned Scientists. This satellite fleet includes
constellations such as the Global Positioning System (GPS),
which is widely used by the public and the private sector.
For decades, U.S. spacecraft operated without threat of
attack by other nations.
The United States and Soviet Union tested anti-satellite
(ASAT) missiles in the 1980s. Largely because resulting
debris could harm spacecraft in orbit, the United States last
conducted such a test in 1985. China became the third
nation to test an ASAT weapon in 2007. The event was a

turning point, military commanders have said, as it revealed
Source: Adapted from U.S. Space Force Headquarters Air Force -
the vulnerability created by U.S. reliance on satellites. After
April 19, 2022 (spaceforce.mil).
2007, China and Russia continued to build their military
Underneath field commands, colonels lead units called
space capabilities. One decade later, advocates for a Space
deltas. Lieutenant colonels lead still-smaller Space Force
Force in Congress and the Administration proposed
squadrons. The Space Force assigns space professionals,
creating a service that could respond to increasing space,
known as Guardians, to U.S. Space Command and the
cyber space, and missile threats. They also sought to
Department of Defense’s 10 other unified Combatant
streamline the process for making decisions about space
Commands, each of which has a geographic or functional
acquisition. The FY2020 NDAA established the service on
mission. Career tracks for Space Force Guardians include
December 20, 2019.
engineering, intelligence, leadership, logistics, and
Space Force Organization
technology.
The Chief of Space Operations (CSO) is the highest-
The Space Force manages space launch operations on the
ranking uniformed space advisor reporting to the Secretary
East Coast at Patrick SFB in Florida and on the West Coast
of the Air Force. The Space Force and the United States Air
at Vandenberg SFB in California. The service develops,
Force (USAF) are two separate and distinct military
defends, and operates cybersecurity networks, as well as
uniformed services with the same civilian leader in the
satellites that provide secure communications, weather and
Department of the Air Force. The structure is similar to
navigational information, and missile warning. The service
how the Chief of Naval Operations and the Marine Corps
uses space surveillance sensors to track satellites and space
report to the Secretary of the Navy. The CSO is General
debris for its own use and distributes much of that
Chance Saltzman.
information publicly. The Space Force mission is to defend
U.S. satellites from hostile attacks and conduct offensive
The Office of the Chief of Space Operations and the Space
counterspace operations to degrade an adversary’s ability to
Force Headquarters are located at the Pentagon. The Space
conduct space-based attacks.
Force has a command structure with three levels. At the top
of the hierarchy, three-star generals lead mission-focused
Great Power Competition
field commands. The Space Force’s three field commands
During the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Warfare
are Space Operations Command (SpOC), Space Training
Symposium in February 2024, Air Force Secretary Frank
and Readiness Command (STARCOM), and Space Systems
Kendall directed the Air Force and Space Force to
Command (SSC). SpOC, based at Peterson Space Force
“Reoptimize for Great Power Competition” with a
Base (SFB) in Colorado Springs, provides space forces to
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link to page 2 Defense Primer: The United States Space Force
particular focus on China, which has vastly increased its
Resilient Missile Warning and Missile Tracking
space capabilities in the past 20 years.
program.
• Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Projects
To better enable Guardians to meet the demands of conflict
deliver three types of SATCOM. Strategic SATCOM
with China or Russia, Saltzman said the Space Force would
refers to Nuclear Command, Control, and
redesign career paths and include training for leaders to be
Communications (NC3); protected SATCOM enables
knowledgeable in operations as well as technology. The
communications to deployed forces in contested
service has also proposed the creation of a Space Futures
environments; and wideband/narrowband SATCOM
Command within the year.
offers large amounts of data transfer in less-contested
FY2024 Budget Request
environments.
The budget request for the Space Force is included within
• Under the Proliferated Space Warfighter
DAF budget materials. The DAF request for the Space
Architecture, the Space Force is soliciting, purchasing,
Force was $30 billion for FY2024, an increase from its
and launching low-Earth orbit satellites to create a
FY2023 request of $24.5 billion. The FY2024 request
constellation that will conduct multiple missions. The
included $19.2 billion for research, development, test, and
missions will overlap with the systems conducting PNT,
evaluation; $5.0 billion for operations and maintenance;
missile warning, and communications. These satellites
$4.7 billion for procurement; and $1.3 billion for military
will fly at lower altitudes and in greater numbers,
personnel (MILPERS). The FY2024 MILPERS request
providing additional capabilities and more resilience.
supports an end-strength of 9,400 military personnel and
nearly 5,000 civilians.
Potential Issues for Congress
The FY2024 budget request included six major investment
Space National Guard
areas—totaling $25.8 billion—for space-based systems, as
Some analysts and organizations, including the National
shown in Table 1.
Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), have
Table 1. FY2024 U.S. Space Force Request, by
argued that the Department of Defense (DOD) should
Selected Programs
establish a Space National Guard (SNG). They say a Space
Force National Guard would help align Air National Guard
Type
$ in billions
units conducting space missions at a reasonable cost. The
Biden Administration and others have opposed its creation,
Space Procurement (Space Force)
4.7
citing the cost to establish a new headquarters. The
Resilient Missile Warning Missile Tracking
2.3
Congressional Budget Office estimates that facilities and
equipment for a Space National Guard would range from
Space Technology Development and
2.1
$400 million to $900 million. The FY2024 NDAA requires
Prototyping
the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study to assess the
feasibility and advisability of transferring the space
Next-Gen Overhead Persistent Infrared
2.6
components of the Air National Guard to the Space Force.
Evolved Strategic SATCOM
0.6
Space Acquisitions
Protected Tactical SATCOM
0.4
The FY2023 NDAA directed the Defense Business Board
Source: Department of the Air Force Budget Overview FY2024
(DBB) and the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) to study
means for DOD to more rapidly acquire space assets. The
Major Space Acquisition Programs
resulting report recommends further empowering the Space
The FY2024 budget request included funding for the
Acquisition Executive (SAE), who oversees the military’s
development and procurement of spacecraft, launch
space architecture, leads the Department of the Air Force’s
vehicles, space command and control systems, and
purchase of space systems, and reports to the Secretary of
terrestrial satellite terminals and equipment. Major
the Air Force. The report recommends allowing the SAE to
acquisition programs include the following:
approve contracting vehicles (called Other Transaction
•
Agreements) that exceed $500 million without seeking
The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program
additional approval. The DBB and DIB report also calls for
procures commercial launch services for the Space
the SAE to determine the membership and frequency of
Force, Air Force, Navy, the National Reconnaissance
meetings of the Space Acquisition Council, which manages
Office, the Space Development Agency, and other
DOD space procurements. The report advises allowing the
government agencies. This program ensures U.S. access
SAE to hold funds in reserve for adding technology to
to space.
existing programs, risk reduction, program acceleration, or
• The Global Positioning System Enterprise provides
corrective actions. Congress may consider these
24-hour-a-day, worldwide coverage, including all-
recommendations in its deliberations for FY2025.
weather three-dimensional positioning, navigation, and

timing (PNT) for military and civilian users.
•
Jennifer DiMascio, Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy
Missile Warning Systems supply initial warning of
strategic missile attacks using the existing Space-Based
IF12610
Infrared System. The Space Force is developing the
Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared and
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Defense Primer: The United States Space Force


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