U.S. Space Command To Launch On Aug. 29

Space.com: New US Space Command Will Launch Next Week, VP Pence Says

The U.S. Space Command will be born Aug. 29.

The new United States Space Command will officially be up and running by the end of the month, Vice President Mike Pence said today (Aug. 20) at a meeting of the National Space Council.

The U.S. Space Command will be the military's unified combatant command in charge of the country's defense operations in space. It will become the Defense Department's 11th unified combatant command, alongside the U.S. Strategic Command, the U.S. Special Operations Command and other commands that serve specific functions or geographic regions.

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More News On U.S. Space Command Launching On Aug. 29

Space Command to launch Aug. 29 -- Defense News
US Space Command Set to Stand Up Aug. 29 -- Air Force Magazine
U.S. Space Command to start Aug. 29, officials say -- UPI
Space Command launching Aug. 29 -- The Hill
US Space Command will launch this month, ahead of Trump's Space Force -- USA Today
Tectonic Shift As NRO Moved Under Space Command In Wartime -- Breaking Defense

U.S. Air Force Creates 'Space Mission Force' To Wage War From Space

The current SBSS satellite, the Block 10 pathfinder, was launched in 2010 and performs its mission from a sun-synchronous, low Earth orbit. A follow-on system is scheduled to launch in 2021. Credit: Boeing

Daily Mail: Top Guns in orbit: US Air Force reveals plan for 'Space Mission Force' to protect America using satellites

* Group will utilise existing satellites and weapons to 'operate as warfighters'
* Training wilol 'better prepare airmen to operate military satellites'

They could be a combination of Top Guns and Thunderbirds - protecting the Earth using swarms of smart satellites.

To be called Space Mission Force, the U.S. Air Force Space Command has revealed its plans for a new type of soldier.

The group will utilise existing satellites and weapons to 'operate as warfighters' in orbit.

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WNU Editor: the Americans are not the only ones who are militarising space .... Russia And China Sign Space Alliance To Threaten U.S. Supremacy, Target Military satellites (The Inquisitr).

More News On The U.S. Air Force Creating A 'Space Mission Force' To Wage War From Space

US Air Force creates Space Mission Force to prevent war in space -- Geek
US military creates 'Space Mission Force' to wage satellite war -- Endgadget
U.S. Air Force’s next space surveillance system on target for 2021 -- Space news
US Air Force’s new initiative trains operators for space battles -- Slash Gear

The Pentagon Wants Its Space Agency To Wage War Against The Islamic State

Washington Post: Pentagon chief wants secretive space unit involved in fight against Islamic State

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter sees a variety of missions for the Pentagon’s new, secretive space center — and that includes fighting the Islamic State.

The Pentagon chief said Thursday that the new Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center established by the Defense Department last fall has a role not only in preparing for potential conflicts against rival countries, but in counterterrorism. The center was created after a years-long debate to integrate space operations with the workings of conventional military units and intelligence agencies.

Carter visited the center along with other senior defense officials and praised its potential. Most public discussion about the center has focused on the “war games” it carries out to prepare for conflict with adversaries such as Russia and China, but the Pentagon chief said the center is doing more than that.

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WNU Editor: I call this overkill.

U.S. Military And U.S. Intelligence Will Now Monitor Their Spy Satellite Feeds From One Location

Defense Systems: DOD, intel community building joint space ops center

The Defense Department and the Intelligence Community will soon be able to monitor all of their spy satellite feeds from one location, a move that will not only facilitate information sharing but will also allow for integrated testing of new capabilities.

DOD is in the process of establishing the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center (JICSpOC), along with the U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command and the IC at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., according to an announcement. Initial testing at the facility will begin Oct. 1.

Update #1: DOD starting new entity for sharing space information -- UPI
Update #2: Pentagon to Setup Space Operations Center for DoD-Intell Community Info Exhanges -- ExecutiveGov

WNU Editor: The Pentagon and the intel community working together .... this I have to see.

Update #3: This is so true .... Thompson: Space Is Becoming Vital to Military Ops -- Defense News

60 Minutes Looks At U.S. Space Command

60 Minutes, CBS: The Battle Above

U.S. and China are locked in a high stakes contest over satellites that are critical to national security and everyday life

The following is a script from "The Battle Above" which aired on April 26, 2015. David Martin is the correspondent. Andy Court, producer.

Without most of us noticing, our everyday activities -- everything from getting cash at an ATM to watching this program -- depend on satellites in space. And for the U.S. military, it's not just everyday activities. The way it fights depends on space. Satellites are used to communicate with troops, gather intelligence, fly drones and target weapons. But top military and intelligence leaders are now worried those satellites are vulnerable to attack. They say China, in particular, has been actively testing anti-satellite weapons that could, in effect, knock out America's eyes and ears.

WNU Editor: Watched it last night .... it is a good summary on U.S. Space Command.

Top General At U.S. Space Command: 'I Am Not NASA'

CBS: Critical U.S. satellites vulnerable?

U.S. and China locked in a high stakes contest over satellites that are critical to national security and everyday life

U.S. officials have become concerned about China's anti-satellite capabilities, which could potentially threaten the satellites that give the U.S. military its edge on the battlefield and provide the GPS signals that smartphones, ATMs, and power grids use. David Martin reports on this competition high above the Earth on the next edition of 60 Minutes, Sunday, April 26 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Martin provides a rare look at Space Command, the branch of the U.S. Air Force charged with launching and protecting U.S. satellites. The report includes stunning images of a massive, laser-guided telescope in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that can be used to surveil the satellites of potential adversaries like China.

Update: General: China Space Threat Drives U.S. Space Warfare Buildup

WNU Editor: This 60 Minutes report will be broadcast on April 26.

Commander Of U.S. Air Space Command Calls For An End To Being Reliant On Russian Rockets

Photo: Shelton on SpaceX suit: 'Generally, the person you're going to do business with you don't sue.' (Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz/Air Force)

Pentagon's Space Chief Warns on Conflict, U.S. Capabilities -- Wall Street Journal

The Pentagon's most senior space commander warned of a growing risk of conflict in space, and questioned U.S. readiness to tackle emerging threats because of its reliance on Russian-made rocket engines.

Gen. William Shelton, Commander of Air Force Space Command told an industry conference on Tuesday that ,he supported the development of a U.S.-made rocket engine to replace a Russian booster that the U.S. uses to send half of its military and intelligence payloads into orbit. Gen. Shelton said a homegrown alternative is important given Russia's recent pledge to halt sales of its rocket to the U.S. military.

The state of the U.S. space industry has come into sharp focus in recent weeks following Russia's move and a brewing legal battle between the Pentagon, its main rocket provider and a new entrant known as SpaceX run by entrepreneur Elon Musk, who alleges he is being crowded out of the multibillion-dollar market.

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More News On The Commander Of U.S. Air Space Command Calling For An End To American Reliance On Russian Rockets

US Air Force Space Head on SpaceX, Engine Issues -- Defense News
Gen. Shelton Supports New US Rocket Engine; Not Happy With Musk’s SpaceX -- Breaking Defense
Shelton Would Prefer New U.S. Main Engine over Domestic RD-180 Variant -- Space News
Space Command boss wants more smaller, cheaper space-based systems -- The Gazette
U.S. Air Force says working hard to certify SpaceX rockets -- Reuters
Pentagon's Gen. Shelton: End Reliance on Russian Rockets -- Newsmax
Why Did We Give Putin Control Over Our Satellite Launches? -- Daily Caller

How Budget Cuts Are Impacting The U.S. Military Space Program

Budget Cuts, Barriers Slow U.S. Military Space Shakeup -- Andrea Shalal-Esa, Reuters

Oct 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has talked for years about attracting more companies to the military satellite business to stir competition and cut costs. But progress has been halting at best.

Now, just as the U.S. military is finally revamping its approach, cuts in defense spending threaten to undermine even the modest progress that is being made.

Billions of dollars of new contracts are at stake, both for legacy satellite and rocket launch providers such as Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, and newcomers trying to break into the market.

The Government Accountability Office, a congressional research arm, last month estimated that the U.S. military, NASA and other government agencies would spend $44 billion just to launch satellites over the next five years. Billions more would be spent on building the spacecraft.

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My Comment: How can you plan and spend the money on a program that may eventually be cut because of budget cuts. This is an unworkable business model.

US Space Command Will Close The Air Force Space Surveillance System Due To Budget Cuts

21st Space Wing. Wikipedia

End Of An Era At US Space Command -- Space Daily/21st Space Wing Peterson AFB CO

The 21st Space Wing closed the Air Force Space Surveillance System due to resource constraints caused by sequestration, marking the end of its 52 years of service to the Space Situational Awareness mission, Oct. 1.

The Air Force Space Surveillance System was designed to transmit a "fence" of radar energy vertically into space to detect all objects passing through that fence. It operated from three transmitters and six receiver stations located along the 33rd parallel in the southern portion of the United States.

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My Comment:  This is truly an end to an era at US Space Command.

Air Force Space Command Is Looking For A Few Good Cyber Warriors

AF Cyber Boss Wants High Quality Troops -- Military.com

The Air Force’s top cyber commander warned Thursday that the military may have a tough time finding all the qualified people it needs to stay ahead in the increasingly important world of attacking and defending networks.

Gen. William Shelton, head of Air Force Space Command, said that only a small percentage of people graduate with technical college degrees every year in the U.S. and of those an even smaller percentage are eligible to get the security clearance they’d need to become Defense Department or government cyber-operators.

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Update: The cyber war after next -- DoD Buzz

My Comment: For more info on Air Force Space Command, go here.

On a side note .... 'Hacktivists' stole 58% of thieved data in 2011.