Member-only story
Under the National Defense Authorization Act, the United States Space Force was established on Dec. 20, 2019. It is based on the concept of space as a national security concern due to the growing threat of competition in space. This new branch under the Air Force was the first created since 1947 with the mission “to secure our nation’s interests in, from and to space.”
One benefit to having this organization is to consolidate satellite acquisition and workforces from over 60 agencies. It unifies space operations. More importantly, Space Force “provides the positioning, navigation and timing of the GPS constellation that powers global financial networks, enable international commerce, synchronize cell phone networks and optimize critical infrastructure systems,” according to its website.
As commercial space flight and volume of communications satellites increases, it is integral to have an agency overseeing the resource of space. Oversight of satellites is important for weather, navigation, fleet operations and threat warnings. It also has the essential duty to monitor ballistic missile launches and guard against surprise missile attacks. America relies on the merging of technological advancements under Space Force.
