The Space Force is organized as one of two coequal military service branches within the Department of the Air Force, the other being the United States Air Force. Both services are overseen by the Secretary of the Air Force, who has overall responsibility for organizing, training, and equipping the Air Force and Space Force.[1]
The Space Staff is the headquarters of the U.S. Space Force. Like the U.S. Air Force's Air Staff that is under the Department of the Air Force, it is overseen by the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. It is responsible for developing doctrine, guidance, and plans in performing the Space Force's functions, cooperating with the Air Staff on support issues. It is composed of the military service's most senior leaders: the chief of space operations, the vice chief of space operations, and the chief master sergeant of the Space Force. Like the other services, there is a director of staff who oversees the synchronization of policies and plans of the headquarters staff and four deputy chiefs of space operations.[2] The Space Staff was designed to be lean. Compared to the Air Force's nine headquarters directorates, the Space Force merged nine functional areas into four directorates.[2] Additionally, each of the four deputy chiefs of space operations has unofficial positional titles akin to that of corporate organizations: chief human capital officer, chief operations officer, chief technology and innovation officer, and chief strategy and resourcing officer. The chief human capital officer and chief technology and innovation officer positions are held by senior civilian officials at the SES-3 level, while both the chief operations officer and chief strategy and resourcing officer positions are filled by two lieutenant generals.[3]
The Space Operations Command (SpOC) will be the primary force provider of space forces and capabilities. It is responsible for the organization, training, equipping, command and control, and employment of space forces to support operational plans and missions for U.S. combatant commanders. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.[19]
Established on 21 October 2020, SpOC was the first field command activated. It was established by the redesignation of the headquarters of the former Air Force Space Command to Space Operations Command. It was composed of the 10 deltas and two garrisons activated on 24 July 2020. This included the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) which served as the interim unit for space training and education until the August 2021 stand-up of a full field command. SpOC also maintained command of the two launch wings, which were later redesignated as launch deltas in 2021, previously under the Air Force Space Command until the establishment of the Space Systems Command.[20]
The Space Systems Command (SSC) is becoming responsible for developing, acquiring, and fielding space systems, as well as launch, sustainment, and maintenance of space systems. It also advises Space Force science and technology activities.
The Space Force on 8 April 2021 announced the planned structure of the SSC. Led by a lieutenant general, SSC was to be formed by redesignating the Space and Missile Systems Center, Commercial Satellite Communications Office, and other space systems programs offices transferred into the Space Force, being stood up in summer 2021. On July 29, Michael Guetlein was confirmed as its first commander by the United States Senate.[21][22] The ceremony installing him in command of the new SSC was held August 13, 2021.[23]
Under the new structure, the two launch deltas previously under SpOC were reassigned to SSC under the oversight of the SSC deputy commander. The commander of the Space Launch Delta 45 will take on additional duties as the field command's director of operations.[21]
Space Training and Readiness Command
STARCOM emblem
The Space Training and Readiness Command was planned to train and educate space professionals, develop combat-ready space forces, and additionally taking on the roles of integrated testing and on-orbit checkout. Initially, before the activation of the command, a Space Training and Readiness Delta was established in July 2020 at Peterson SFB.[13] STARCOM was activated on 23 August 2021, led by a major general.[24] Five subordinate deltas then began being established: one each for training, doctrine and lessons learned, range and aggressor, test and evaluation, and education.[24]
Delta
The Space Force has no command echelon equivalent of the U.S. Air Force′s numbered air forces,[25] so the next command echelon below field commands is the delta, a single level of command which combines the wing and group command echelons found in the U.S. Air Force.[25] Each delta is organized around a specific function, such as operations, installation support, or training, and is led by an officer in the grade of colonel.[13][25] Space Deltas are operational organizations, but have no responsibility for base support, which is either the Air Force′s responsibility,[25] or that of the Space Base Deltas, the former Garrisons.
The first 11 deltas in the Space Force initially were assigned to the Space Operations Command. Of those, two were realigned under the Space Systems Command, and the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) became a separate field command.
Below deltas in the Space Force structure are squadrons. Space Force squadrons are focused on specific tactics and are led by an officer in the grade of lieutenant colonel.[13]
On 12 March 2019, the Space Development Agency (SDA), a new space-focused development agency, additional to the Space and Missile Systems Center and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, was established.[47] It was established under the authority of the under secretary of defense for research and engineering.[48] As of January 2020, the SDA is planned to become part of the U.S. Space Force in October 2022.[49]
Each unit in the Space Force has an emblem in a shape depending on the unit type.[52] Each of the three field commands also have a distinctive color: Silver Grey for SpOC, Golden yellow for SSC, and Bluebird (Replacing initial Cannes Blue color) for STARCOM. Units assigned to Space Forces Space (a component field command) will use Brick Red as a distinctive color. Unit emblems are trimmed with the color of the field command to which they report. Space Force personnel assigned to National Reconnaissance Office roles will wear insignia trimmed in Black.
Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) is a United States Space Force base located in El Segundo, California. Los Angeles Air Force Base houses and supports the headquarters of the Space Systems Command field command of the United States Space Force, which was established on August 13, 2021. The center manages research, development and acquisition of military space systems.
New Boston Space Force Station (BOSS) is a United States Space Force facility located in Hillsborough County in south central New Hampshire. It was transferred from the United States Air Force to the Space Force in the summer of 2020.
The 50th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force wing.
The 3rd Test and Evaluation Squadron is a space test and evaluation unit located at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado.
The 17th Test and Evaluation Squadron is a United States Space Force test and evaluation unit, located at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado. The squadron is tasked with testing and evaluating space systems and associated support equipment.
Space Operations Command (SpOC) is the United States Space Force's space operations, cyber operations, and intelligence field command. Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, it consists of its mission deltas, and garrison commands.
Stephen Newman Whiting is a United States Space Force general who serves as the commander of the United States Space Command. He previously served as the first commander of Space Operations Command from 2020 to 2024.
DeAnna Marie Burt is a United States Space Force lieutenant general who has served as the deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear since 2022. She is the first female major general and second female general officer in the Space Force.
The Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) (STAR Delta (P)) was a United States Space Force unit responsible for the training and education of space professionals, as well as the development of space warfighting doctrine. It was a component of Space Operations Command and was headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.
Space Training and Readiness Command is the United States Space Force's education, training, doctrine, and test field command. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.
Mission Delta 2 (MD2) is the United States Space Force's space domain awareness delta, headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. Mission Delta 2 tracks and monitors all human made objects from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit and further out to deep space. It also partners with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide weather satellite observation for the U.S. Armed Forces. It consists of the 15th Space Surveillance, 18th Space Defense Squadron, 19th Space Defense Squadron, and 20th Space Surveillance Squadron.
Mission Delta 3 (MD3) is a United States Space Force unit responsible for presenting operational combat-ready electromagnetic warfare forces in support of assigned missions. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base.
Space Base Delta 2 is a unit in the United States Space Force. It is assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, United States.
Space Base Delta 1 is a United States Space Force unit. It is assigned to Space Operations Command and headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States.
Space Delta 7 is a United States Space Force unit responsible for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) for the United States Space Force. The delta provides actionable and time-sensitive intelligence for space domain operations including detection, characterization and targeting of adversary space capabilities. The unit employs a variety of fixed and mobile sensors across the globe operated by intelligence professionals to enable its mission to gain and maintain information dominance in the space domain in the execution of National Defense Strategy priorities. It is headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base.
Space Delta 8 is the United States Space Force unit responsible for military satellite communications and operates a variety of satellite constellation. It is headquartered at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.
The National Space Intelligence Center(NSIC) formerly known as "Space Delta 18" or "DEL 18", is the United States Space Force's intelligence agency. It is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio and activated on 24 June 2022.
Space Delta 12 is a United States Space Force unit responsible for space test and evaluation. It tests space systems and capabilities in support of weapon system acquisition, operational acceptance, and readiness. It was established on 23 August 2021 following the establishment of the Space Training and Readiness Command, the field command to which it reports. It is temporarily headquartered at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, but its final location requires a base selection process.
The 3rd Combat Training Squadron is a United States Space Force training unit. Assigned to Space Operations Command's Space Delta 3, it provides electromagnetic warfare qualification training to Delta 3 operators. Headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, it was activated on 3 March 2022. The squadron was previously designated as the 721 Operations Support Squadron following the establishment of the 721st Operations Group in 2019 which was later redesignated to Space Delta 3.
Space Delta 15 is a United States Space Force unit responsible for presenting forces to the National Space Defense Center. It was established on 10 March 2023 as part of Space Operations Command and in December 2023 moved into United States Space Forces – Space. It is headquartered at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.
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