U.S. Air Force X-37B Spaceplane To Launch On A SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket On December 7

X-37B Encapsulated Featuring the United States Space Force (USSF) logo for the first time, the encapsulated X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle for the USSF-52 Mission. (Courtesy photo from Boeing)  

Space.com: SpaceX will launch the Space Force's mysterious X-37B space plane on a Falcon Heavy rocket Dec. 7  

The X-37B has previously launched atop the smaller Falcon 9 rocket. 

The U.S. Space Force's shadowy X-37B is set for launch atop a SpaceX rocket. 

The reusable space plane will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 7 for its seventh overall mission, designated USSF-52.  

Read more .... 

U.S. Air Force X-37B Spaceplane To Launch On A SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket On December 7  

Department of the Air Force Scheduled to Launch Seventh X-37B Mission -- United States Space Force 

X-37B Headed Deeper Into Space With Falcon Heavy Rocket's Help -- Warzone/The Drive 

U.S. Air Force X-37B spaceplane to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket -- Space News  

Space Force’s Elusive Spaceplane Is Launching on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy for the First Time -- Gizmodo

X-37B Mission to Test New Space Technologies and Study Radiation on Seeds -- Space War

75% Of US Space Force Efforts Are Focused On China And Russia

US Space Force Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, meets with Guardian students for lunch, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Mar. 14, 2023. (US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary) 

Breaking Defense: Space Force intel focus: 50% on China; 25% on Russia 

China's "space weaponry" arsenal "includes missiles that launch from the Earth that go up and destroy satellites, it includes lasers, it includes jammers, it includes a whole magazine of diversity for that," a top Space Force officer said. 

WASHINGTON — The Space Force is concentrating fully half of its intelligence-gathering activities on China to keep tabs on Beijing’s rapid evolution as a space power to reckon with, according to the service’s senior intelligence officer. 

 “From an intelligence perspective … about half of what we do is focused on China. About 25 percent of what we do is focused on Russia, and a lot of that has to do because of the current conflict [i.e., in Ukraine],” Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, Space Force deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, told the Space Force Association yesterday.

“And about 25 percent of what we do is focused on what we call the rest of world, or the commercial sector — not spying on the commercial sector, but just understanding the commercial sector from an intelligence perspective.”  

Read more ....  

Update: US Space Force Concentrating 75% of Intel on China, Russia (Defense Post)  

WNU Editor: Who gets the other 25% attention?

U.S. Military Space Budget Likely To Get A Huge Boost In 2024

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a GPS satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., June 17, 2021. Credit: U.S. Space Force  

Space News: Analyst: U.S. military space budget likely to get another boost in 2024 

Congress has supported significant spending increases due to concerns about Russian and Chinese anti-satellite weapons  

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration in its budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 is likely to seek a significant increase for the U.S. Space Force, the National Security Space Association’s head of legislative affairs Mike Tierney said Feb. 16. 

The White House is expected to release the president’s federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 on March 9. 

Tierney during an online forum said he has not seen any actual numbers but “things are starting to trickle out in the rumor mill.” 

“What we’re hearing is another substantial increase for the Space Force in the ‘24 request,” he added. 

Tierney, a veteran budget analyst, predicts the increase could be anywhere from $3 billion to $6 billion above what was requested in fiscal year 2023. 

Funding for military space programs — including the Space Force and other space programs across DoD — grew from $17.7 billion in 2021 to $21.8 billion in 2022, Tierney said. In fiscal year 2023, the Pentagon requested $26.9 billion and Congress upped it to $28.5 billion  

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WNU Editor: The demand is there .... Space Force sees greater demand for national security launch program (Air Force Times).

US Will Launch A New Space Force Command In Indo-Pacific To Face Growing China And North Korean Threats

Join us LIVE on Tuesday, November 22nd at 10 am HST/ 3 pm EST as we welcome the newest #USINDOPACOM Component Command, U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific! Livestream link will be available on our page once the event starts. #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific #ActivatingAcceleration pic.twitter.com/SGG8S31Eti

— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) November 21, 2022

Epoch Times: US to Activate New Space Force Command in Indo–Pacific Amid Tensions With North Korea, China 

The United States Space Force will activate its first component command in the Indo–Pacific this week, aimed at deterring aggression in the region, as tensions with China and North Korea continue to rise. 

The U.S. Indo–Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said on Twitter that the new Space Force unit will be activated Tuesday, making INDOPACOM the first combatant command to host a Space Force unit since its inception in 2019. 

The Space Command aims “to deter conflict and, if necessary, defeat aggression, deliver space combat power for the joint/combined force, and defend U.S. vital interests with allies and partners,” according to its website.  

Read more .... 

US Will Launch A New Space Force Command In Indo-Pacific To Face Growing China And North Korean Threats  

US Space Force Dedicates 1st Ever Component Command In The Indo-Pacific To Counter China -- Republic World  

US Space Force will create its first-ever component command in Indo-Pacific region -- MENAFN  

US Space Force announces major anti-China move -- RT  

US to launch new Space Force command in Indo-Pacific amid NK provocations -- Korea Times

Space Force Gets A New Chief Space Officer

Gen. Chance Saltzman, left, took command of the Space Force Nov. 2. (U.S. Space Force/Dave Grim)  

Breaking Defense: ‘Father of the Space Force’ Raymond retires, as Saltzman takes command 

“A resilient, ready and combat capable Space Force is indispensable to deterrence today, tomorrow and every day after that," the new Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said today. "And in the worst case, if deterrence fails, the Space Force will be an indispensable component of our joint force at war.” 

WASHINGTON — Leadership of the Space Force, the US military’s newest service branch, changed hands for the first time today as Gen. Chance Saltzman became the second-ever chief of space operations, succeeding Gen. Jay Raymond. 

In a speech shortly after becoming the Space Force’s top officer, Saltzman vowed to provide servicemembers — who are known as Guardians — the resources, training and tools needed to “unlock [their] massive potential.” 

Read more .... 

Space Force Gets A New Chief Space Officer  

The New Leader of Space Force Wants a ‘Combat-Credible’ Command -- Gizmodo  

Space Force Gets New Chief Space Officer for the First Time Since Forming in 2019 -- Military.com  

Saltzman assumes command of US Space Force -- Defense News

Space Force Launches Two New Satellites Capable Of 'Inspecting' Enemy Satellites

 

Warzone/The Drive: Space Force Just Launched Satellites Capable Of 'Inspecting' Enemy Satellites  

Two new satellites launched as part of Space Force's push for more space domain awareness can get up close and personal with other objects in orbit. 

Space Force launched two additional satellites today as part of its push for greater Space Domain Awareness, or SDA, in geosynchronous orbit some 22,000 miles away from Earth. The two satellites are part of the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP, and will allow Space Force to not only locate and identify objects in this distant orbit, but also maneuver close to them in order to inspect them or assess their capabilities. The launch comes as Space Force leadership continues to sound the alarm about the risks posed to U.S. satellites in orbit.  

Read more .... 

 Space Force Launches Two New Satellites Capable Of 'Inspecting' Enemy Satellites 

Space Force expands on-orbit ‘neighborhood watch’ mission with two new tracking satellites -- C4ISRNet 

ULA launches two space surveillance satellites for U.S. Space Force -- Space News  

Atlas 5 rocket boosts two Space Force satellite monitors into orbit -- CBS  

ULA launches two new Space Force tracking satellites into orbit -- UPI 

Space Force to loft 2 new ‘neighborhood watch’ sats, as leader frets launch funds -- Breaking Defense

U.S. Space Force Holds War Game To Simulate Chinese, Russian Attacks On Satellites

Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks speaks with Space Training and Readiness Command Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Moore during trip to Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado  

Reuters: U.S. Space Force holds war game to test satellite network under attack 

PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (Reuters) - The United States is testing satellite resiliency to threats from China and Russia miles above the earth's surface, just weeks after Russia shot down an aging communications satellite. 

The computer-aided simulations included potential shooting down of U.S. missile-tracking satellites, satellite jamming, and other electronic warfare "effects" that are possible tactics in space warfare. Actual satellites are not used. 

During a visit to Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks saw the 'Space Flag' simulated space training exercise hosted by U.S. forces. It was the 13th such exercise, and the third to involve partners such as Britain, Canada and Australia.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: The war in orbit (The Week)  

Update #2: US space war games with allies ‘raise risk of Star Wars-style arms race’ (SCMP)  

WNU editor: The capability to attack satellites in orbit exists. This exercise only validates the observation that an arms race in space is now underway.

U.S. Space Force Launches Two Satellites Into Orbit

 

CBS News: Atlas 5 rocket launches two Space Force satellites for tests of advanced technology 

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket boosted two Space Force satellites into orbit Tuesday in a billion-dollar mission featuring a variety of high-technology payloads, including nuclear detonation detectors and a NASA high-speed laser communications system. 

Also on board was a joint NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory ultraviolet telescope to help scientists learn how to predict solar storms that release torrents of charged particles that can damage spacecraft electronics and expose astronauts to high levels of radiation. 

Powered by a Russian RD-180 first stage engine and five strap-on solid-propellant boosters, the Atlas 5 roared to life at 5:17 a.m. EST and vaulted away from pad 409 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station atop a brilliant jet of flaming exhaust.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Atlas V rocket launches NASA laser communications prototype and Space Force experiments into orbit (Space.com)  

Update #2: The US Space Force Just Launched a Secret Payload Atop NASA's Atlas V Rocket (Interesting Engineering)  

WNU Editor: There were numerous delays .... Space Force mission blasts off from Florida after multiple delays (UPI).

U.S. Space Force General Says China Will Be The Leading Superpower In Space By The End Of The Decade

 

FOX News: China’s space operation poses an ‘incredible threat,’ US must adapt, Space Force general says  

China's space capabilities are moving at an 'aggressive' pace, Space Force general says 

China’s space operation is outpacing the U.S. two to one, posing an "incredible threat" that may make the nation the leading superpower in space by the end of the decade if the U.S. doesn’t adapt its approach, the vice chief of the U.S. Space Force warned on Sunday. 

Gen. David Thompson appeared on "Fox News Sunday," telling anchor Chris Wallace that while the U.S. is "still the best in the world" in the new frontier, China is on an "incredible pace," confirming that it is launching twice as many satellites into space as the U.S. . 

Read more .... 

U.S. Space Force General Says China Will Be The Leading Superpower In Space By The End Of The Decade  

Top Space Force official: China is developing space capabilities at 'twice the rate' of US -- CNN 

U.S. Space Force general warns of China's growing military space potential -- Politico  

China Is Rapidly Becoming a 'Tremendous Threat' in the Solar System -- Business Insider  

Russia and China are attacking US satellites with lasers and jammers ‘every day’ says top general -- The Independent  

U.S. Space Force General Details Strategy U.S. Is Using To Counteract Chinese Aggression In Race For Space Dominance -- Daily Wire

US Space Force To Deploy Advanced Electronic Jammers To Disrupt Enemies’ Satellite Communications Signals

Satellite antennas used in the Counter Communications System 10.2 electronic jammer developed by L3Harris under contract to the U.S. Space Force. Credit: L3Harris  

Space News: Space Force satellite jammers shut down enemy communications, temporarily 

WASHINGTON — U.S. military officials and analysts have warned that China and Russia are building an arsenal of weapons designed to interfere with space-based capabilities of the United States. 

The United States meanwhile is building its own capabilities to counter enemies’ space assets. Most of those systems are classified but the Space Force has made public its plans to deploy advanced electronic jammers to disrupt enemies’ satellite communications signals.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The militarization of space is definitely accelerating.

U.S. Military Is Preparing For A ‘Space Superhighway’

The Air Force Research Laboratory is now exploring cislunar space, which is expected to get more congested as more firms and countries invest in space travel to the moon. Their Cislunar Highway Patrol (CHPS) will experiment with space domain awareness beyond Geosynchronous Earth Orbit. AFRL courtesy image 

Defense One: The Military is Preparing for a ‘Space Superhighway,’ Complete with Pit Stops  

Those hubs would do more than refuel spaceships; they are seen as key to staying ahead of China.  

Like any family road trip, future missions to the moon and beyond may require a few pit stops. 

U.S. Transportation Command and the U.S. Space Force see a future space superhighway system where the United States, commercial partners, and allies would be able to make repeat, regular trips to the moon or beyond by using multiple hubs where they could gas up, have maintenance done, and even throw out their trash. 

Now they’re thinking about getting those orbiting pit stops up and running sooner rather than later. Because it’s not just about making the 238,855-mile lunar journey a little more comfortable. It’s about preventing China from building the hubs first.  

Read more ....  

Update: Let's build a superhighway in space (Gordon Roesler, The Hill)  

WNU editor: US Congress is definitely on board with Space Force and its plans. They are putting even more money into the service .... Senate Appropriations Proposes $500 Million Extra for Space Force in 2022 (Air Force Magazine).

Space Force Now Has Its Own National Space Intelligence Center

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass receives a briefing at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 3, 2021. Credit: U.S. Air Force 

 Space News: Space Force intelligence organization established at Wright Patterson Air Force Base 

The Space Force Intelligence Activity was stood up as an interim organization until the National Space Intelligence Center is established 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force has established an intelligence analysis group within the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 

A new organization called the Space Force Intelligence Activity is an interim step before the Space Force stands up a separate National Space Intelligence Center also at Wright Patterson, according to a memo signed Sept. 24 by Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback and Lt. Gen. Mary O’Brien. 

Lauderback is the Space Force director of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. O’Brien is the Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations. 

A copy of the memo was obtained by SpaceNews.  

Read more ....  

Update: Report: New National Space Intelligence Center being readied at Wright-Patt (Dayton Daily News)  

WNU Editor: As Space Force continues to expand .... Space Force Selects 670 More Soldiers, Sailors, Marines for Transfer (Air Force Magazine), there are roadblocks to its growth .... Hundreds of troops were chosen for the Space Force, but Congress is getting in the way (Air Force Times), including some House Democrats trying to abolish Space Force .... ‘No Militarization of Space Act’ introduced in Congress (Nation Of Change).

Some U.S. Democrats Want To Abolish Space Force

CBS: Bill To Abolish U.S. Space Force Introduced By North Bay Rep. Jared Huffman 

WASHINGTON (CBS SF/CNN) — A North Bay congressman has introduced a bill to abolish the U.S. Space Force, a day after the newest branch of the military unveiled new uniform prototypes. 

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) introduced the No Militarization of Space Act as Congress moves to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that authorizes funding for the Pentagon.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: Space Force abolished? House bill would do just that (The Gazette) 

Update #2: Democrats In Congress Try To Abolish Space Force (Zero Hedge/Epoch Times) 

WNU Editor: Space Force is not going to be abolish. Even President Biden supports it.

Space Force Unveils its New Uniforms

Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond unveiled the Guardian Service Dress prototype during the Air Force Association’s Air, Space, and Cyber conference on Sept. 21, 2021. (Twitter)  

Military.com: The Space Force Unveils its New, Sci-Fi Worthy Uniform 

The Space Force finally has its own service dress uniform -- one worthy of the Starship Enterprise. 

The U.S. military's newest service unveiled its prototype dress uniform at the Air Force Association's Air Space & Cyber conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Tuesday -- prompting commenters to share images and jokes online. 

The uniform is a marked departure from the dress blues of the Air Force, from which the Space Force was spun off in 2019. 

It has a dark navy coat that buttons on the right-hand side, unlike the Air Force coat that buttons in the middle, and gray pants.  

Read more .... 

More News On Space Force's Uniform And Enlisted Ran Insignia  

Space Force Uniform Prototype Has Diagonal Buttons, PT Uniforms Are Black and Gray -- Air Force Magazine  

US Space Force unveils new uniform prototypes -- CNN  

Space Force unveils dress uniforms for guardians -- Space News  

The Space Force leans into ‘Galactic Empire’ chic with new dress uniform design -- Task & Purpose  

The Space Force enlisted rank insignia are here, and they look a lot like ‘Star Trek’ -- Task & Purpose  

To insignia and beyond: Space Force rolls out new designs for enlisted sleeves -- Air Force Times

U.S. Space Force Wary Of Taking Over UFO Mission

Politico: 'They want people to take them seriously': Space Force wary of taking over UFO mission  

The newest branch is among a number of military and intelligence organizations in the running to take over the investigation of unexplained aircraft. 

The Pentagon is considering giving the Space Force a greater role in a stepped-up effort to track and investigate reports of UFOs. But the newest military branch isn't over the moon about the idea. 

Space Force leaders are still struggling to rebrand an organization that has been lampooned since before its birth. Now, they are conflicted about becoming the military's go-to on what the Pentagon now calls "unidentified aerial phenomena," according to five current and former officials taking part in the discussions. 

Advocates for the Space Force taking over for the Navy, which is currently leading the Pentagon's task force responsible for studying them, believe the new service is better suited to oversee a more robust effort aimed at collecting information on UFOs, and that its association with a topic of such public fascination, particularly among young people, could even boost recruiting.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Odd that the US Space Force is not interested in a stepped-up effort to track and investigate reports of UFOs. You would think it would be part of their purview.

U.S. Space Force Announces It Has Selected Its First Small Group Of Soldiers, Sailors And Marines

U.S. Space Force General David Thompson, Vice Space Operations Chief, speaks to representatives during an Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Leadership series event with the Association of Old Crows, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Jan. 13, 2021. (Brittany A. Chase/DoD)  

Military.com: The Space Force Has its First Marines -- and Soldiers and Sailors 

The Space Marines are here. 

The U.S. Space Force on Wednesday announced it has selected its first small group of soldiers, sailors and Marines who will transfer permanently into the sixth military branch -- part of a larger effort to centralize space operations and related missions within the fledgling service. 

The Space Force will bring in 50 active-duty volunteers into its ranks this month, the service said in a news release. 

More than 3,700 officers and enlisted members from those services applied earlier this year for the chance to become a guardian, the release states. 

“We are overwhelmed by the number of applicants, and the outpouring of support our sister services have provided as we’ve partnered together to design the Space Force,” said Gen. David “DT” Thompson, vice chief of space operations.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: 3700 applications for 50 positions. That is impressive.

U.S. Military Report Says Space Force Must Prepare For Warfare On The Moon

The super moon, known as the "Strawberry full moon", and the last super moon of 2021, is pictured as it rises in Ronda, southern Spain. REUTERS/Jon Nazca  

Space News: Report: Space Force has to prepare for operations beyond Earth’s orbit 

WASHINGTON — A new report published by the Air Force Research Laboratory suggests the U.S. Space Force has to prepare for a day when the moon and the volume of space around it could become the next military frontier. 

“A Primer on Cislunar Space” was released June 23 by AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate. Its intended audience are military space professionals who one day might have to develop spacecraft and concepts for operations in regions beyond Earth’s orbit. 

Col. Eric Felt, the director of AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate, said the document aims to “educate and inspire.”  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Pentagon are not the only ones thinking of the moon .... Russia and China team up to build a moon base (The Guardian).

Space Force Launches A Top Secret 'Space Domain Awareness' Satellite

This still from a Vandenberg Space Force Base video shows a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket carrying the TacRL-2 satellite being loaded onto a Stargazer carrier plane for a June 13, 2021 launch. (Image credit: U.S. Space Force/Vandenberg Space Force Base)  

Daily Mail: Space Force launches a top secret 'space domain awareness' satellite into orbit from the bottom of a jet in first project by mystery 'Space Safari' unit 

 * The U.S. Space Force launched a military satellite, called Odyssey, into space on Sunday as part of its new, secret special projects unit 

 * The mission's goal was to condense the time it takes to develop and execute a launch from a few years to four months 

 * Odyssey is a surveillance satellite used to detect foreign objects in space, like floating debris 

 * It launched inside of a Northrop Grumman Pegasus rocket that was fixed to the underbelly of a 'Stargazer' L-1011 carrier jet 

The U.S. Space Force successfully launched into orbit a 'space domain awareness' military satellite that it designed and built in less than a year, under a significantly tighter time frame than what's usual for space launches. 

The satellite, dubbed Odyssey, is the first launch of the Space Force's secret, special projects unit. 

Odyssey hitched a ride inside a Northrop Grumman Pegasus rocket fixed to the bottom of a modified 'Stargazer' L-1011 carrier jet and launched from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base early Sunday morning. 

The hush-hush mission is the Space Force's first trial with condensing the timeline it typically takes to launch vehicles into space.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Pegasus XL rocket launches secretive 'space domain awareness' satellite for US Space Force (Space.com)  

Update #2: Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus rocket launches U.S. Space Force mission (Space News)  

WNU Editor: The debate on the future of Space Force continues .... Scientists, generals, policy experts ponder future role of Space Force (Space News).

US National Guard Chief Says Space National Guard Coming Soon

U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)  

Defense One: Proposed Space National Guard Gathers Momentum 

A space-focused branch of the Guard would aim to give the Space Force “a surge-to-war capability” in times of conflict. 

The National Guard will soon deliver recommendations to the defense secretary on how to establish a space-focused component of the part-time volunteer force, an effort the Guard’s top general calls one of his “most pressing concerns.” 

But lawmakers want to know what the new organization will cost, suggesting they may have some of the same concerns about soaring costs and bureaucracy that hounded the Space Force when it was established in December 2019.  

Read more .... 

More News On The Space National Guard  

Space Guard 'Among My Most Pressing Concerns,' National Guard Chief Tells Congress -- Military.com/AP  

Top general: Defense officials nearing plan for Space National Guard -- The Hill 

Plans for a new Space National Guard close to liftoff, top general says -- Politico  

Plan for Space Force reserve component is ‘fairly close,’ National Guard boss says -- Air Force Times  

Space National Guard could come soon, general tells House lawmakers -- Stars and Stripes

400 Possible Nicknames For US Space Force Members

© AFP 2020 / POOL 

Sputnik: FloatyBois and Homo Spaciens: Check Out List of 400 Possible Nicknames for US Space Force Members 

It turns out that many Americans cannot figure out the actual purpose of the newly created sixth branch of the US military, and these expressive nickname suggestions partly reflect this, including the simple and clear "I do not know". 

US Space Force members could have been called "FloatyBois", "Space Marines", "Wookies" or even "Astrogators", according to a list published by Politico Friday, among a total of 400 possible nicknames submitted by military space personnel. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The 400 nicknames for US Space Force members is here (link here).