Gen. Jay Raymond was formally sworn in as the inaugural Chief of Space Operations Jan. 14 at a White House ceremony led by Vice President Mike Pence. “The President and Congress have given us a great opportunity to build the force we need to respond ...
The Space Force has three weeks to come up with an initial organization plan that Congress wants by Feb. 1, a service official said Jan. 10. Maj. Gen. John Shaw, who serves as both US Space Command’s combined force space component commander as well as ...
The Air Force’s science advisers in 2020 will launch three studies on future communications, innovation in space, and the unintended consequences of using autonomous systems, the results of which will shape the service’s research investments. Service Secretary Barbara Barrett tasked the Air Force Scientific Advisory ...
SpaceX on Jan. 6 sent 60 Starlink broadband Internet satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., marking the Space Force’s first launch since the service was created in December. This is the third batch of Starlink satellites sent into space so far, totaling 180 ...
Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett redesignated 14th Air Force as Space Operations Command following the Dec. 20 establishment of US Space Force as the sixth military service. Airmen that were assigned to the numbered Air Force, which was previously responsible for the organization, training, equipping, ...
President Donald Trump on Dec. 20 established the US Space Force as America’s sixth military service, one of the most significant changes in Air Force history and a milestone in America’s exploration and militarization of the cosmos. The Space Force is the Pentagon’s first branch ...
The Senate sent the fiscal 2020 defense spending bill to the White House in an 81-11 vote Dec. 19, moving forward a $738 billion defense appropriations package that comes nearly three months into the fiscal year. The House approved the legislation Dec. 17. President Donald ...
The Senate on Dec. 17 approved the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 86-8, sending the bill to the White House where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law. Also on Dec. 17, the House approved a $1.4 ...
Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center boss Lt. Gen. John Thompson appeared optimistic about the future of acquisition under the Space Force, despite industry's concerns about changes foreshadowed in the draft fiscal 2020 defense policy bill. Bipartisan, bicameral language would create a space acquisition ...
Congressional authorizers have agreed to reform how the Pentagon develops and buys space systems, including adding a counterpart to Air Force acquisition boss Will Roper.
Congressional authorizers are offering the Air Force less money in most areas than the service asked for in fiscal 2020, but want to put nearly $19 billion toward aircraft procurement, according to the bipartisan, bicameral defense policy bill, which passed the House on Dec. 11.
Many factors combined to slow the creation of an independent armed force for space before it took off this year: politics, higher legislative priorities, military officials trying to protect the piece of the pie they already had. But none proved more challenging than the Air ...