As I travel around the space industry, I often find a lot of confusion about which government organization is responsible for what and their distinct roles and responsibilities. Over the upcoming weeks, I will write a series of blog posts exploring each government organization that makes up the space industry. Part of this is educating myself along the way because, pun intended, space is vast. The other part is educating others so industry partners know how to better interact with government customers.
Entry 1 — USSF versus USSPACECOM
The United States Space Force (USSF) and the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) are two distinct U.S. military organizations responsible for various aspects of the nation’s space operations. While both entities deal with space-related matters, they serve different purposes and have unique roles in ensuring U.S. space superiority.
The United States Space Force, established on December 20, 2019, is the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It operates under the Department of the Air Force, similar to how the Marine Corps operates under the Department of the Navy. The primary mission of the Space Force is to organize, train, and equip space forces to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. This includes space domain awareness, space electronic warfare, satellite communications, missile warning, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services. The Space Force is responsible for developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to Combatant Commands.
On the other hand, the United States Space Command is one of the eleven unified combatant commands within the U.S. Department of Defense. It was re-established on August 29, 2019, after being deactivated in 2002. USSPACECOM is responsible for military operations in, from, and to space, focusing on conducting operations in and through space 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. The Space Command is designed to be a unified command that coordinates space operations across all military branches, including the Space Force, Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.
While the Space Force is a military service responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces, the Space Command is a warfighting command that employs these forces in military operations. The Space Force provides the majority of the personnel, assets, and capabilities that the Space Command requires to execute its mission. This relationship is similar to how the other military branches provide forces to the unified combatant commands, such as the U.S. European Command or the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
In summary, the United States Space Force and Space Command are critical organizations in the U.S. military’s space operations. The Space Force is responsible for developing and maintaining military space capabilities, while the Space Command is responsible for employing these capabilities in military operations to protect U.S. interests in space. Together, these two organizations ensure that the United States maintains its dominance in the space domain and can effectively defend its assets and interests in space.