Updated March 13, 2024
Defense Primer: The United States Space Force
The U.S. Space Force is the sixth branch of the Armed
Base (SFB) in Colorado Springs, CO, provides space forces
Forces, established under the Department of the Air Force
to combatant commands. STARCOM prepares space forces
(DAF) with the enactment of the FY2020 National Defense
for operations. The DAF has selected Patrick SFB in
Authorization Act ([NDAA], P.L. 116-92). According to
Florida as STARCOM’s headquarters. SSC, based at Los
Title 10, Section 9081, of the U.S. Code, “The Space Force
Angeles Air Force Base, handles acquisition. On February
shall be organized, trained, and equipped to—(1) provide
12, 2024, Saltzman announced the Space Force’s intent to
freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to
stand up a fourth field command, Space Futures Command,
space; (2) conduct space operations; and (3) protect the
to forecast threats, test concepts based on those forecasts,
interests of the United States in space.”
and design 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
Source: Adapted from U.S. Space Force Headquarters Air Force -
turning point, military commanders have said, as it revealed
April 19, 2022 (spaceforce.mil).
the vulnerability created by U.S. reliance on satellites. After
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
cyberspace, and missile threats. They also sought to
Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) 10 other unified
streamline the process for making decisions about space
combatant commands, each of which has a geographic or
acquisition. The FY2020 NDAA established the service on
functional mission. Career tracks for Space Force
December 20, 2019.
Guardians include engineering, intelligence, leadership,
logistics, and technology.
Space Force Organization
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 U.S. Air Force
at Vandenberg SFB in California. The service develops,
(USAF) are two separate and distinct military uniformed
defends, and operates cybersecurity networks, as well as
services with the same civilian leader in the DAF. The
satellites that provide secure communications, weather and
structure is similar to how the Chief of Naval Operations
navigational information, and missile warning. The service
and the Marine Corps report to the Secretary of the Navy.
uses space surveillance sensors to track satellites and space
The CSO is General Chance Saltzman.
debris for its own use and distributes much of that
information publicly. The Space Force mission is to defend
The Office of the CSO and the Space Force Headquarters
U.S. satellites from hostile attacks and conduct offensive
are located at the Pentagon. The Space Force has a
counterspace operations to degrade an adversary’s ability to
command structure with three levels. At the top of the
conduct space-based attacks.
hierarchy, three-star generals lead mission-focused field
Great Power Competition
commands. The Space Force’s three field commands are
During the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Warfare
Space Operations Command (SpOC), Space Training and
Symposium in February 2024, Air Force Secretary Frank
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
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link to page 2 Defense Primer: The United States Space Force
particular focus on China, which has vastly increased its
• Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Projects
space capabilities in the past 20 years.
deliver three types of SATCOM. Strategic SATCOM
refers to Nuclear Command, Control, and
To better enable Guardians to meet the demands of conflict
Communications (NC3); protected SATCOM enables
with China or Russia, Saltzman said the Space Force would
communications to deployed forces in contested
redesign career paths and include training for leaders to be
environments; and wideband/narrowband SATCOM
knowledgeable in operations as well as technology. The
offers large amounts of data transfer in less-contested
service has also proposed the creation of a Space Futures
environments.
Command within the year.
• Under the Proliferated Space Warfighter
FY2025 Budget Request
Architecture, the Space Force is soliciting, purchasing,
The budget request for the Space Force is included within
and launching low-Earth-orbit satellites to create a
DAF budget materials. The Space Force request was $29.4
constellation that will conduct multiple missions. The
billion for FY2025, down from its FY2024 request of $30
missions will overlap with the systems conducting PNT,
billion. The FY2025 request included $18.7 billion for
missile warning, and communications. These satellites
research, development, testing, and evaluation; $5.2 billion
will fly at lower altitudes and in greater numbers,
for operations and maintenance; $4.3 billion for
providing additional capabilities and more resilience.
procurement; and $1.2 billion for military personnel
(MILPERS). The FY2025 MILPERS request supports an
Potential Issues for Congress
end strength of 9,800 military personnel and 5,324
civilians. The FY2025 budget request included major space
Space National Guard
investments, as shown in Table 1.
Some analysts and organizations, including the National
Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), have
Table 1. FY2025 U.S. Space Force Request, by
argued that DOD should establish a Space National Guard.
Selected Programs
They say a Space National Guard would help align Air
Type
$ in billions
National Guard units conducting space missions at a
Space Procurement (Space Force)
4.3
reasonable cost. The Biden Administration and others have
opposed its creation, citing the cost to establish a new
Resilient Missile Warning Missile Tracking
2.6
headquarters. The Congressional Budget Office estimates
Space Technology Development and
1.7
that facilities and equipment for a Space National Guard
Prototyping
would range from $400 million to $900 million. The
Next-Gen Overhead Persistent Infrared
2.1
FY2024 NDAA requires the Secretary of Defense to
Evolved Strategic SATCOM
1.0
conduct a study to assess the feasibility and advisability of
transferring the space components of the Air National
Protected Tactical SATCOM
0.6
Guard to the Space Force.
Space Domain Awareness Systems
0.5
Space Acquisitions
Source: Department of the Air Force Budget Overview FY2025.
The FY2023 NDAA directed the Defense Business Board
Major Space Acquisition Programs
(DBB) and the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) to study
The FY2025 budget request included funding for the
means for DOD to more rapidly acquire space assets. The
development and procurement of spacecraft, launch
resulting report recommends further empowering the Space
vehicles, space command and control systems, and
Acquisition Executive (SAE), who oversees the military’s
terrestrial satellite terminals and equipment. Major
space architecture, leads the DAF’s purchase of space
acquisition programs include the following:
systems, and reports to the Secretary of the Air Force. The
report recommends allowing the SAE to approve
• The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program contracting vehicles (called Other Transaction Agreements)
procures commercial launch services for the Space
that exceed $500 million without seeking additional
Force, Air Force, Navy, National Reconnaissance
approval. The DBB and DIB report also calls for the SAE
Office, Space Development Agency, and other
to determine the membership and frequency of meetings of
government agencies. This program ensures U.S. access
the Space Acquisition Council, which manages DOD space
to space.
procurements. The report advises allowing the SAE to hold
•
funds in reserve for adding technology to existing
The GPS Enterprise provides 24-hour-a-day,
programs, risk reduction, program acceleration, or
worldwide coverage, including all-weather three-
corrective actions. Congress may consider these
dimensional positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT)
recommendations in its deliberations for FY2025.
for military and civilian users.
•
Jennifer DiMascio, Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy
Missile Warning Systems supply warning of strategic
missile attacks using the existing Space-Based Infrared
IF12610
System. The Space Force is developing the Next
Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared and Resilient
Missile Warning and Missile Tracking program.
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Defense Primer: The United States Space Force


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12610 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED

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