190-540: Space Systems Command ( SSC ) is the United States Space Force 's space development , acquisition , launch , and logistics field command . It is headquartered at Los Angeles Air Force Base , California , and manages the United States' space launch ranges . The Western Development Division ( WDD ) was established on 1 April 1954 under Air Research and Development Command to manage
380-589: A Scout X-2 rocket in 1962, however the other four launch attempts failed. Further DMSP Block I launches were conducted on the Thor-Agena and Thor-Burner boosters. The Thor-Burner also launched the DMSP Block II and DMSP Block III satellites, which provided weather reconnaissance during the Vietnam War . The Block 4 satellites first launched in 1966. The Army Signal Corps' project SCORE, launched by
570-540: A Thor-Agena booster, with Discoverer 1 becoming the first satellite to enter a polar orbit and Discoverer 2 was the first to have three-axis stabilization . In 1960, Discoverer 13 was the first to return a capsule when it crashed into the Pacific Ocean and Discoverer 14 marked the first successful return of film when it was recovered in-air by a 6593d Test Squadron Fairchild JC-119 Flying Boxcar . The Satellite and Missile Observation Program (SAMOS),
760-648: A Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force in the mid-term, which would evolve into a Department of the Space Force in the long-term. The Rumsfeld Commission expected the transition from Air Force Space Command to a fully independent Space Force to occur in between 2006 and 2011. Air Force leadership reacted extremely poorly to the Rumsfeld Commission's recommendations. The day after
950-533: A Titan IIIC and the development and launch of the Advanced Vela satellites on Titan IIICs in 1967, 1969, and 1970. Three Defense Meteorological Support Program Block 5A, Block 5B, Block 5C, and Block 5D-1 satellites were also launched in the 1970s. Although not an Air Force program, the Navy's Transit satellite system was the world's first satellite navigation constellation and started development in 1958. It
1140-544: A U.S. Air Force unit to a U.S. Space Force unit and was reassigned from Space Operations Command to Headquarters United States Space Force. On 13 August 2021, the Space and Missile Systems Center was renamed Space Systems Command and became a full U.S. Space Force field command. The United States' ballistic missile program was started by the United States Army Air Forces immediately after the end of
1330-877: A brigadier general, is the Space Systems Command operations director and range acquisitions lead. Air Force Research Laboratory space units, such as the Space Vehicles Directorate, Space Electro-Optical Division, Rocket Propulsion Division, and Space Systems Technology Division, administratively report to Space Systems Command, while remaining under the aligned under Air Force Research Labs. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center 's Strategic Warning and Surveillance Systems Division, responsible for ground-based radars, missile warning, space domain awareness, missile defense systems, and shared early warning capabilities, transferred to Space Systems Command. Space Systems Command also provides support to
1520-399: A commission to examine the organization and management of national security space. The Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organization, better known as the 2001 Space Commission or the Rumsfeld Commission, released its report in 2001. The Rumsfeld Commission noted the strong risk of a "Space Pearl Harbor," harking back to Imperial Japan's surprise attack on
1710-414: A constellation of 20 satellites in synchronous inclined orbits. The Navy's Timation program instead envisioned a constellation of 21 to 27 satellites in medium altitude orbits. In 1973, Deputy Secretary of Defense William P. Clements directed the two programs merge into the Space and Missile Systems Organization's Global Positioning System , which used Program 621B's signal structure and frequencies and
1900-457: A full color U.S. flag , sparking jokes about fighting on the forest moon of Endor from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi , while its distinctive service dress drew comparisons to Colonial Fleet uniforms from Battlestar Galactica or Starfleet uniforms from Star Trek . While the Space Force noted that its camouflage combat uniform was appropriate since space operators deploy to combat zones on
2090-501: A fully independent Space Force by 2011. While the United States' focus shifted from space to counterterrorism, the Russian Armed Forces and Chinese People's Liberation Army realized the military benefits that could be gleaned from space, as well as the incredible reliance the United States put on its space forces. Throughout the 2000s, Russian and Chinese space and counterspace capabilities began to increase. In 2001,
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#17327730897562280-478: A general order renaming the Air Force launch site Cape Kennedy Air Force Station . This name was used through the Project Gemini and early Apollo program . However, the geographical name change proved to be unpopular, owing to the historical longevity of Cape Canaveral (one of the oldest place-names in the United States, dating to the early 1500s). In 1973 and 1974 respectively, both the geographical and
2470-543: A global space. Through space, the U.S. military and its allies can see, communicate, and navigate. Global mission operations also protect U.S. forces on Earth through early warning of incoming missiles and other types of attack. The Space Force describes global mission operations as allowing the rest of the U.S. military to defend the air, land, and sea. Missions that support global mission operations include missile warning , satellite communications , and positioning, navigation, and timing . Assured space access ensures that
2660-735: A halt on it. In the 1960s the Douglas C-133 Cargomaster was a frequent visitor, carrying modified Atlas and Titan missiles, used as launch vehicles for crewed and uncrewed space programs leading to the Apollo Moon landings. The Skid Strip was used by NASA 's Pregnant Guppy and Super Guppy transport aircraft carrying the S-IVB upper stage for the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets used in Apollo program . Today, it
2850-618: A high-altitude nuclear detection system to ensure compliance with the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty . The Atomic Energy Commission flew test detectors on Space Systems Division Discoverer satellites and the first Vela satellites were launched on an Atlas-Agena on 16 October 1963. The Space Systems Division also began development on the Defense Meteorological Support Program (DMSP). The DMSP Block 1 satellites were launched on
3040-470: A military responsibility until the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was created in 1958. The military shifted from conducting their own space exploration programs to supporting NASA's, providing the agency with its astronauts and space launch vehicles , while also conducting astronaut recovery and supporting space launches from the Air Force's Eastern Range . The Air Force
3230-803: A mission to support the development of the Polaris missile and later the Poseidon missile programs. NOTU's mission is the support and testing of sea-based weapons systems for the United States Navy and the Royal Navy in a safe environment utilizing the airspace and waterspace of the Eastern Range. The command directly supports the mission capability and readiness of the United States Navy's Trident Submarines as well as
3420-519: A new military service...would be a dramatic step. Perhaps a "Space Corps" would be a step toward a Space Force. Maybe the Air Force will preempt these dramatic changes by truly becoming the "Space and Air Force." The idea of a separate service for space originated in the 1960s. Military space activities were briefly consolidated under the Advanced Research Projects Agency in 1958, loosely centralizing space activities under
3610-528: A reusable uncrewed spacecraft operated by USSF , which is also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle ( OTV ), has been successfully launched four times from Cape Canaveral. The first four X-37B missions have been launched with Atlas V rockets. Past launch dates for the X-37B spaceplane include April 22, 2010, March 5, 2011, December 11, 2012, and May 20, 2015. The fourth X-37B mission landed at
3800-660: A satellite or space-based weapon from Johnston Atoll . The system was declared operational in 1964 and turned over to Aerospace Defense Command , however it was put on standby in 1970 and shut down in 1975. Program 437 also include the Program 437AP configuration, which give it the capability to inspect satellites. The Space Systems Division also managed the Space Test Program , known as the Space Experiments Support Program until 1971, for
3990-472: A separate military department, to be known as the Department of the Space Force. The Space Force is currently organized as a service under the Department of the Air Force , more closely mirroring the concept of a Space Corps rather than a fully independent Space Force. Senator Bob Smith , the 2001 Rumsfeld Commission, and 2008 Allard Commission each envisioned that a Space Corps would first be created under
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#17327730897564180-519: A single organization. The Air Force, Army, and Navy feared that it would evolve into a "fourth service" for space, before authorities were returned to the service. The first direct call for a U.S. Space Force occurred in 1982, prior to Air Force Space Command 's establishment or the Strategic Defense Initiative 's public announcement. As part of a report recommending the acceleration U.S. space-based laser weapon development,
4370-584: A study calling for its transfer to the Space Force. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ( CCSFS ) is an installation of the United States Space Force 's Space Launch Delta 45 , located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida . Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base , the station is the primary launch site for the Space Force's Eastern Range with three launch pads currently active (Space Launch Complexes 40 , 41 and 46 ). The facility
4560-615: A third of the way to the Moon, it was world's first deep space probe and provided information on the extent of the Van Allen radiation belts . On 1 April 1961, Air Research and Development Command was reorganized as Air Force Systems Command . Space and missile programs had grown to the point where the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division was split on 1 April 1961, with space systems being organized under
4750-527: Is a Space Force lieutenant general, while the deputy command is a Space Force major general and is also responsible for space launch. In addition to Space and Missile Systems Center units realigning, the 61st Air Base Group was redesignated the Los Angeles Garrison . Space Systems Command also gained Space Launch Delta 30 and Space Launch Delta 45 , which they had given up to Air Force Space Command in 1990. The commander of Space Launch Delta 45,
4940-455: Is an historic event and a strategic imperative for our Nation. Space has become so important to our way of life, our economy and our national security that we must be prepared as a Nation to protect it from hostile actions. As the U.S. Space Force was established on 20 December 2019, General Jay Raymond , commander of U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command , became its first member and chief of space operations . Air Force Space Command
5130-558: Is owned by the United States Space Force (USSF). This airport is assigned a three-letter location identifier of XMR by the Federal Aviation Administration , but it does not have an International Air Transport Association (IATA) airport code . The runway was first called the Skid Strip because SM-62 Snark cruise missiles (which lacked wheels) returning from test flights were supposed to skid to
5320-585: Is predominantly used by USAF C-130 Hercules , C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy aircraft transporting satellite payloads to CCSFS for mating with launch vehicles. The CCSFS Skid Strip is sometimes confused with the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility , but that runway, specially constructed for the Space Shuttle , is located on Merritt Island at the adjacent Kennedy Space Center . A tenant command located at Cape Canaveral SFS
5510-474: Is south-southeast of NASA 's Kennedy Space Center on adjacent Merritt Island , with the two linked by bridges and causeways. The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip provides a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runway close to the launch complexes for military airlift aircraft delivering heavy and outsized payloads to the Cape. A number of American space exploration pioneers were launched from CCSFS, including
5700-506: Is the U.S. Navy 's Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU). As a major shore command led by a Navy captain , NOTU was created in 1950 and initially directed almost all of its efforts towards the development and subsequent support of the submarine-launched Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program. This resulted in NOTU being assigned to the Director, Special Projects (now Strategic Systems Programs) with
5890-539: Is the United States Armed Forces ' space service and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States . It is one of two independent space forces in the world. The United States Space Force traces its origins to the Air Force, Army, and Navy's military space programs created during the beginning of the Cold War . US military space forces first participated in combat operations during
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6080-560: The 6555th Aerospace Test Group and realigned under its 6595th Aerospace Test Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The 6595th Aerospace Test Wing was then realigned under SAMSO's new Space and Missile Test Center (SAMTEC), which oversaw launches at both Vandenberg Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and operated the Western Test Range . In 1977, it gained the Eastern Test Range . On 1 August 1971,
6270-585: The Air Force Research Laboratory . The Space Force also began incorporating space personnel transfers from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps. In 2022, it the Naval Satellite Operations Center and Army's Satellite Operations Brigade transferred to the Space Force, putting satellite communications under a single service for the first time in history. In 2023, it assumed responsibility for
6460-574: The Air Force Satellite Control Facility was inactivated, with its functions being replaced by Air Force Space Command's wings. The Space and Missile Test Organization was inactivated on 1 October 1989, and on 1 October 1990 the Eastern Space and Missile Center and Western Space and Missile Center were transferred to Air Force Space Command's 9th Space Division , making it responsible for space launch. However,
6650-498: The Army Air Forces , tasked General Bernard Schriever to integrate with the scientific community to identify and develop technologies that could be beneficial for the new U.S. Air Force in the next global conflict. Identifying the importance of space, the U.S. Army , U.S. Navy , and U.S. Air Force each started their own separate space and rocket programs. The U.S. Air Force created the first military space organization in
6840-749: The Cold War . ARPA assigned the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division responsibility for three probes to be launched with the Thor-Able, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency two probes to be launched with the Juno II , and the Naval Ordnance Test Station to provide the imaging system. Pioneer 0 , Pioneer 1 , and Pioneer 2 were the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division's lunar probes. While Pioneer 0 and Pioneer 2 suffered launch failures and Pioneer 1 only traveled
7030-454: The Department of the Air Force alongside the U.S. Air Force , its coequal sister service. The Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian secretary of the Air Force , while the U.S. Space Force is led by the Chief of Space Operations . The U.S. Space Force's status as part of the Department of the Air Force is intended to be an interim measure towards a fully independent Department of
7220-453: The Department of the Navy . The Space Force's three field commands (FLDCOM) are purpose-built for specific activities, aligning to the various institutional responsibilities to organize, train, and equip Guardians. Component field commands (C-FLDCOM) coordinate and integrate space forces into planning and current operations within unified combatant commands . Direct reporting units (DRU) are hubs of innovation and intelligence expertise within
7410-622: The Dyna-Soar , a crewed orbital rocket plane (canceled in 1963) and the USAF Manned Orbital Laboratory (MOL), a crewed reconnaissance space station (canceled in 1969). From 1974 to 1977 the powerful Titan-Centaur became the new heavy lift vehicle for NASA, launching the Viking and Voyager series of spacecraft from Launch Complex 41. Complex 41 later became the launch site for the most powerful uncrewed U.S. rocket,
7600-1201: The Global Positioning Systems Directorate , the Launch and Range Systems Wing becoming the Launch Enterprise Directorate , the MILSATCOM Wing becoming the Military Satellite Communications Directorate , the Space Superiority Systems Wing becoming the Space Superiority Systems Directorate , the SIBRS Wing becoming the Infrared Space Systems Directorate , the Space Development and Test Wing becoming
7790-502: The Government Accountability Office recommended the U.S. Air Force be reorganized as the U.S. Aerospace Force or that an independent U.S. Space Force be created. Ultimately, a Congressional proposal to rename the U.S. Air Force as the U.S. Aerospace Force and speculation that President Ronald Reagan may announce the creation of a U.S. Space Force accelerated Air Force plans to create a space command within
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7980-599: The Kennedy Space Center on May 7, 2017, after 718 days in orbit. The first three X-37B missions all made successful autonomous landings from space to a 15,000 foot (4,600 m) runway located at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California which was originally designed for Space Shuttle return from orbit operations. Of the launch complexes built since 1950, several have been leased and modified for use by private aerospace companies. Launch Complex SLC-17
8170-600: The Kosmos 1408 and putting the International Space Station at risk. The Space Force is organized into a headquarters staff that provides leadership and guidance for the force; field commands that are responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Guardians; deltas that support field commands and are specialized by mission area; and squadrons which specialize in acquisitions, cyberspace operations, engineering, intelligence, and space operations. At
8360-619: The LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM, which was the first Air Force ballistic missile to use solid fuel rather than liquid fuel. The first Minuteman I was launched by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division on 1 February 1962 and turned over to Strategic Air Command on 11 September 1962. By 1965, the Minuteman I had replaced the Atlas and Titan I ICBMs. The Space Systems Division, still located at Los Angeles Air Force Station , carried on
8550-1060: The Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing which replaced the MILSATCOM Joint System Program Office (JPO), the Launch and Range Systems Wing , which replaced the Launch and Ranges JPO, the Global Positioning Systems Wing , which replaced the Navstar GPS JPO, the Space-Based Infrared Systems Wing , which replaced the SBIRS System Program Office (SPO), the Space Superiority Systems Wing ,
8740-959: The Phillips Laboratory and its three sub-laboratories were directly incorporated into it. On 15 March 1989, the Space Division reassumed its historical name of the Space Systems Division and the Ballistic Missile Office also was renamed the Ballistic Systems Division. Due to cutbacks in the ballistic missile program due to the end of the Cold War, the Ballistic Systems Division was renamed the Ballistic Missile Organization and realigned under
8930-400: The Russian Space Forces were reestablished as an independent arm and in 2007, China conducted a destructive anti-satellite missile test causing the single largest space debris generating event in history. In the aftermath of the Chinese ASAT test, Congress tasked the Allard Commission to reevaluate the Defense Department's space organization and management. The Allard Commission noted that
9120-405: The Second World War , with the German Army 's employment of the V-2 rocket demonstrating its viability. However, initial efforts to combine ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons was technologically infeasible until the development of thermonuclear weapons . In the early 1950s, the Soviet Union was outpacing the United States in ballistic missile development, leading Trevor Gardner to charter
9310-447: The Secretary of Defense to conduct a periodic review to determine when to recommend the President seek legislation to establish the Department of the Space Force. Following the Space Force's establishment there have been a number of calls to rename the Department of the Air Force to the Department of the Air and Space Forces to reflect its composition of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Congress previously explored renaming
9500-558: The Solwind research satellite. The program was terminated in 1988 due to budgetary and congressional restrictions. Starting in 1983, the Department of Defense announced the Strategic Defense Initiative to provide missile defense, with the Space Division responsible for its space-based and Air Force components. In 1987, the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization selected the Space Division's Boost Surveillance and Tracking System , Space Surveillance and Tracking System , and Space-Based Interceptor for demonstration. Immediately following
9690-442: The Space Development and Test Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, which included the former SMC Detachment 12, the 61st Air Base Wing , which replaced the 61st Air Base Group, the Satellite Control and Network Systems Group, which replaced the Air Force Satellite Control Network SPO, the Space Logistics Group, which replaced the SMC Logistics Support Squadron, and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Systems Group, which replaced
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#17327730897569880-441: The Space Rapid Capabilities Office and Space Development Agency (to be transferred in 2022), which are direct reporting units to the Chief of Space Operations . One 8 December 2023, SSC stood up the first two provisional System Deltas (SYDs) in an activation and assumption of command ceremony at the Los Angeles Air Force Base. United States Space Force As U.S. Space Force The United States Space Force ( USSF )
10070-401: The Space and Missile Systems Center from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Space Command and establishing the National Security Space Institute . Ultimately, the Rumsfeld Commission's recommendations remained unfulfilled because of the higher priority placed on counterterrorism after the September 11 attacks , canceling plans for a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force or
10260-418: The Strategic Defense Initiative , launching its first satellite in 2011. Since the 1970s, proposals were made to merge the military and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's (NOAA) weather satellites. In 1994, President Clinton directed that the programs eventually be merged. In 1995, the Air Force, NASA, and NOAA started the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System which
10450-409: The Teapot Committee to determine why the United States was struggling. As a direct result of the Committee's recommendation, Air Research and Development Command established the Western Development Division at Los Angeles Air Force Station under Brigadier General Bernard Schriever on 1 July 1954 to manage the Air Force's ballistic missile program. The Western Development Division's first program
10640-540: The Titan IIIB and provided NASA with Titan II GLVs for Project Gemini and developed the Agena target vehicle . In 1963, the Space Systems Division initiated the Defense Support Program , which was intended to succeed where MIDAS failed and create an orbital constellation of infrared missile warning sensors. It also continued developing the Vela nuclear detonation detection satellites. The Vela satellite network came out of an Air Force Ballistic Missile Division– Atomic Energy Commission –NASA agreement in 1960 to develop
10830-419: The Titan IV , developed by the Air Force. With increased use of a leased launch pad by private company SpaceX , the Air Force launch support operations at the Cape planned for 21 launches in 2014, a fifty percent increase over the 2013 launch rate. SpaceX had reservations for a total of ten of those launches in 2014, with an option for an eleventh. The first United States satellite launch, Explorer 1 ,
11020-427: The Vietnam War and have participated in every U.S. military operation since, most notably in the Persian Gulf War , which has been referred to as the "first space war." The Strategic Defense Initiative and creation of Air Force Space Command in the 1980s marked a renaissance for military space operations. Proposals for a U.S. Space Force were first seriously considered during the Reagan Administration as part of
11210-449: The Vietnam War , with Air Force weather and communications spacecraft supporting ground, sea, and air operations. During Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, satellite communications were used to conduct command and control for the first time, while Operation El Dorado Canyon and Operation Just Cause marked the first time that major U.S. forces incorporated information from space-based intelligence systems. The Persian Gulf War marked
11400-406: The Viking 12 sounding rocket on February 4, 1955. Following the Soviet Union's successful Sputnik 1 (launched on October 4, 1957), the United States attempted its first launch of an artificial satellite from Cape Canaveral on December 6, 1957. However, the rocket carrying Vanguard TV3 exploded on the launch pad. NASA was founded in 1958, and Air Force crews launched missiles for NASA from
11590-443: The medium earth orbits of Timation. The Space and Missile Systems Organization also led the development of the Defense Satellite Communications System Phase II (DSCS II). DSCS II had increased communications capacity, greater transmission strength, and longer lifetimes. As well, they also had steerable antennas. The first developmental contract was issued in 1969 and the first launch to geosynchronous orbit occurred in 1971, with
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#173277308975611780-703: The unified combatant commands , assuming space component responsibility from the U.S. Air Force. One of the primary reasons the Space Force was created was to consolidate space forces from across the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Navy. In 2020, the Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was established to form the foundation for Space Training and Readiness Command and incorporate Air Force space units spread across Air Combat Command and Air Education and Training Command , while Space Systems Command incorporated space acquisitions activities across Air Force Materiel Command , although, notably it did not incorporate space research and development conducted by
11970-408: The "John F. Kennedy Space Center". He had also convinced Governor C. Farris Bryant (D-Fla.) to change the name of Cape Canaveral to Cape Kennedy . This resulted in some confusion in public perception, which conflated the two. NASA Administrator James E. Webb clarified this by issuing a directive stating the Kennedy Space Center name applied only to Merritt Island, while the Air Force issued
12160-399: The 655th Air Base Squadron as part of an Air Force-wide restructuring of support groups. In January 1993, Kirtland Air Force Base and the 377th Air Base Wing were directly assigned to the Space and Missile Systems Center and the 61st Air Base Group at Los Angeles Air Force Base was activated on 1 October 1994, replacing the 655th Air Base Squadron. On 8 April 1997, the Philips Laboratory
12350-418: The 6592nd Support Group for Los Angeles Air Force Station was redesignated the 6592nd Air Base Group. On 1 October 1979, the Space and Missile Systems Organization was redesignated as the Space Division and split off its ballistic missile functions into the Ballistic Missile Office due to growth in both mission areas. Starting in 1982, the Ballistic Missile Office assisted Strategic Air Command in deactivating
12540-418: The Air Force Joseph V. Charyk . The Missile Defense Alarm System (MIDAS) was the third program derived from WS 117L and focused on providing missile warning of ICBMs using infrared sensors. Initial plans called for a constellation of eight spacecraft in polar orbits to monitor the Soviet Union, however due to early satellite failures it remained a test program until 1968. To control these satellites, in 1958
12730-419: The Air Force Ballistic Missile Division established an interim satellite control facility at Lockheed Missile and Space Division . On 6 April 1959, the 6594th Test Wing was established to operate the facility and on 1 March 1960 it transferred operations to Sunnyvale Air Force Station in California. It also established a global Air Force Satellite Control Network . On 1 November 1959, the 6592nd Support Group
12920-459: The Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in 1958, was the world's first communications satellite but intended as a proof of concept. The Army Signal Corps followed by launching Courier 1B on an Air Force Ballistic Missile Division Thor-Ablestar in 1960, but it failed after 17 days in orbit. The Space Systems Division began development on the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program (IDCSP) in 1962, launching constellations from 1966 to 1968.
13110-436: The Air Force Ballistic Missile Division's development of the Titan III space launch vehicle, which was initiated in 1961 and first flow on 1 September 1964. The Titan IIIA consisted of a modified Titan II ballistic missile with a Transtage upper stage. The Titan IIIC was first launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on 18 June 1965 and used two large solid rocket booster. The Space Systems Division also developed
13300-406: The Air Force Station Cape names were reverted to Canaveral after the Florida legislature passed a bill changing the name back that was signed into law by Florida governor Reubin Askew (D-Fla.). On August 7, 2020, U.S. military contracts referred to the installation as Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The installation was formally renamed on December 9, 2020. The two-man Gemini spacecraft
13490-512: The Air Force a near monopoly on military space development, with the exception of reconnaissance programs, which were passed to the National Reconnaissance Office in 1961. The Weapon System 117L program, initially intending to perform a variety of task under different sub-systems, was broken into three different programs in 1959. The Discoverer Program , better known as Corona, was a photographic reconnaissance satellite that ejected film for recovery in-atmosphere. The Discoverers were launched using
13680-668: The Air Force control over its strategic forces. SAMSO also managed the acquisition and launch of Skynet 1 , which was launched on behalf of the Royal Air Force in 1969 and 1970. SAMSO also assisted the United Kingdom with the development of Skynet 2, which launched in 1974 and was turned over to the Royal Air Force in 1975. SAMSO also acquired and launched the NATO II and NATO III satellites. DSCS II, Skynet, and
13870-508: The Air Force did successfully field the Program 437 anti-satellite weapon system, which used nuclear Thor missiles to intercept enemy spacecraft. Although most military space forces were organized under the Air Force, they were still fragmented within several different major commands. Recognizing rapid growth of space forces and the need to centralize them under one command, the Air Force established Air Force Space Command in 1982. This
14060-455: The Air Force or a separate Department of the Space Force to unify national security space. It took until 2017 for members of Congress to act on the recommendations of the Rumsfeld and Allard commissions to create a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force. Representatives Mike Rogers and Jim Cooper unveiled a bipartisan proposal to establish a Space Corps within the Department of
14250-570: The Air Force's major commands. It also consolidated Air Force wings and groups into mission deltas, a formation roughly equivalent to an Army Brigade Combat Team or Air Force expeditionary wing, and space base deltas (briefly known as garrisons), equivalent to an Army garrison or Air Force air base wing. It also began to rename former Air Force bases and station to Space Force bases and station, starting with Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . It also established component field commands to serve as Space Force components at
14440-534: The Air Force, however it experienced significant opposition from the Air Force and Defense Department, failing in the Senate. However, the proposal was resurrected in 2018 when President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the creation of a Space Force and directed the Defense Department to reverse its opposition and develop plans for its establishment. The Trump Administration plan for the U.S. Space Force
14630-462: The Apollo spacecraft. Two uncrewed test launches of the Apollo command and service module (CSM), AS-201 and AS-202 , were made from LC-34, and an uncrewed flight ( AS-203 ) to test the behavior of upper stage liquid hydrogen fuel in orbit from LC-37, between February 26 and August 25, 1966. The first crewed CSM flight, AS-204 or Apollo 1 , was planned to launch from LC-34 on February 21, 1967, but
14820-542: The Army's Joint Tactical Ground Station , putting all space-based missile warning under the Space Force. The Space Force's first significant combat action occurred less than a month after its establishment, providing missile warning when Iran launched missile strikes against U.S. troops at Al Asad Airbase on 7 January 2020. In 2021, the Russian Federation conducted an anti-satellite weapons test, destroying
15010-402: The Army's Redstone missile from LC-5 ; two such flights were manned by Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961, and Gus Grissom on July 21. Orbital flights were launched by derivatives of the Air Force's larger Atlas D missile from LC-14 . The first American in orbit was John Glenn on February 20, 1962. Three more orbital flights followed through May 1963. Flight control for all Mercury missions
15200-594: The Atlas-Agena vehicles failed to reach orbit on Gemini 6 and Gemini 9, and a mis-rigging of the nosecone on a third caused it to fail to eject in orbit, preventing docking on Gemini 9A . The final flight, Gemini 12 , launched on November 11, 1966. The capabilities of the Mercury Control Center were inadequate for the flight control needs of Gemini and Apollo, so NASA built an improved Mission Control Center in 1963, which it decided to locate at
15390-540: The Cape Canaveral area is not suitable, because inhabited areas underlie these trajectories; Vandenberg Space Force Base , Cape Canaveral's West Coast counterpart, or the smaller Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA) are used instead. The Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum is located at LC-26 . Hangar AE , located in the CCAFS Industrial Area, collects telemetry from launches all over
15580-530: The Cape, known then as Cape Canaveral Missile Annex. Redstone , Jupiter , Pershing 1 , Pershing 1a , Pershing II , Polaris , Thor , Atlas , Titan and Minuteman missiles were all tested from the site, the Thor becoming the basis for the expendable launch vehicle (ELV) Delta rocket , which launched Telstar 1 in July 1962. The row of Titan (LC-15, 16, 19 , 20) and Atlas (LC-11, 12, 13, 14 ) launch pads along
15770-482: The Cape. For a complete list of all launch complexes, see the below table. Launch Complex 1 (LC-1) is located on the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral. It was constructed in the early 1950s for the Snark missile program . The first launch from this site was conducted on January 13, 1955. The complex was used for Snark missions until 1960, and then was utilized as a helicopter pad during Project Mercury . The final use of
15960-526: The Commission was publicly released Air Force Chief of Staff General Michael E. Ryan declared "an independent Space Force or Corps was not warranted for at least another 50 years." General Ryan doubled down over the following year, stating that a Space Force should only be considered once space operations moved beyond Earth orbit. Despite the Air Force's hostility to the idea of a Space Corps or Space Force, they did meet some recommendations by transferring
16150-599: The DMSP SPO. On 31 March 2008, the Missile Defense Systems Group was activated. However, in response to the lead of Air Force Materiel Command, on 10 November 2010 the wings and groups redesignated as directorates and divisions as part of an Air Force acquisitions wide effort. This resulted in the 61st Air Base Wing being inactivated and replaced with the 61st Air Base Group, the GPS Wing becoming
16340-447: The Defense Department since it began in 1965. In 1965, Space Systems Division replaced the 6594th Aerospace Test Wing with the Air Force Satellite Control Facility . Space launches were also conducted by the Space Systems Division, with the 6595th Aerospace Test Wing responsible for Vandenberg Air Force Base launches and the 6555th Aerospace Test Wing responsible for launches from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station . On 1 July 1967,
16530-399: The Department of the Air Force as an interim measure as it grew into a fully independent Space Force. In 2019, Space Policy Directive-4 directed the Space Force be initially established under the Department of the Air Force as the first step towards an independent Department of the Space Force, which would take over the entire space mission from the Department of the Air Force. It also directed
16720-491: The Department of the Air Force to the Department of the Aerospace Force in 1981 and congressional efforts were made in the 2000s to rename the Department of the Navy to the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps, however both of these proposals failed under opposition from the Defense Department. Space Force advocates have also called for the creation of an undersecretary of the Air Force for space . This provision
16910-688: The Earth alongside the rest of the joint force and it saved money, it did not have a similar response for its service dress uniform, which were described as a "futuristic-looking" design by General Raymond. The Space Force's seal and delta insignia were also incorrectly derided as a rip-off of Star Trek' s Starfleet logo, despite being first adopted as a space symbol by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in 1962, four years before Star Trek first aired on television in 1966. Star Trek actor William Shatner settled
17100-796: The Earth's rotation. On June 1, 1948, the United States Navy transferred the former Banana River Naval Air Station to the United States Air Force , with the Air Force renaming the facility the Joint Long Range Proving Ground (JLRPG) Base on June 10, 1949. On October 1, 1949, the Joint Long Range Proving Ground Base was transferred from the Air Materiel Command to the Air Force Division of
17290-667: The Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, using its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters. In 2019, in part due to SpaceX's success with reusable rockets, the program's name was changed to National Security Space Launch . In 1994, the Space and Missile Systems Center had started the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) program to replace the Defense Support Program . SBIRS was built upon technology tested for
17480-634: The Fleet Ballistic Missile program of the United Kingdom. NOTU operates the Navy Port at Port Canaveral, supporting submarines and surface ships of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, NATO, Allied and other foreign navies, and assets of the Military Sealift Command . NOTU is composed of over 100 active duty U.S. Navy personnel and over 70 defense contractors. Listed below in this article are less notable launch complexes at
17670-895: The IDCSP, also known as the Defense Satellite Communications Program Phase I (DSCS I) once operational, transmitted both voice and images to support the United States during the Vietnam War. Although almost all crewed spacecraft programs went to NASA after its creation in 1958, the Air Force retained the Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar program under the Wright Air Development Center , with the Titan IIIC initially intended as its booster. The program, however,
17860-606: The ISS with their Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2019. SpaceX Landing Zone 1 and 2, used to land first stages of the Falcon 9 and the side boosters of the Falcon Heavy, are located at the site of the former LC-13 . On September 16, 2015, NASA announced that Blue Origin has leased Launch Complex 36 and will modify it as a launch site for their next-generation launch vehicles. In the case of low-inclination (geostationary) launches
18050-650: The Joint Long Range Proving Ground. On May 17, 1950, the base was renamed the Long Range Proving Ground Base but three months later was renamed Patrick Air Force Base , in honor of Army Maj Gen Mason Patrick . In 1951, the Air Force established the Air Force Missile Test Center . Early American sub-orbital rocket flights were achieved at Cape Canaveral in 1956. These flights occurred shortly after sub-orbital flights launched from White Sands Missile Range , such as
18240-529: The Minuteman III, which more penetration aids to counter anti-ballistic missile defense systems and could be equipped with three multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles . The Titan III space launch vehicle family was also expanded to include the Titan IIID and Titan IIIE , which were used to support NASA's launch of the Viking program in 1976. The Space and Missile Systems Organization
18430-659: The NATO satellites were designed to be compatible with each other. During the 1970s, the Space and Missile Systems Organization began a follow-on ASAT program to Program 437 that did not use nuclear warheads. The first, Project Spike, used a two-staged missile launched from a Convair F-106 Delta Dart . Project Spike did not enter development, however it served as a proof of concept for the Air-launched ASAT , which entered development in 1976. In 1970, SAMSO's 6555th Aerospace Test Wing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station became
18620-555: The PGM-17 Thor IRBM was deployed to the United Kingdom and turned over to Strategic Air Command and the Royal Air Force . The SM-65 Atlas ICBM was turned over SAC by the end of 1962. In 1960, the HGM-25A Titan I ICBM made its first flight and was turned over to Strategic Air Command in 1962, completing the deployment of the first-generation ballistic missiles. These first-generation ballistic missiles also served as
18810-700: The Peacekeeper rail-mobile on trains, but with the end of the Cold War those plans were canceled by President George H. W. Bush in 1991. The Ballistic Missile Office also started development on the MGM-134 Midgetman ICBM in 1986, also known as the Small ICBM, which would be held in road-mobile launchers. Its first test flight occurred in 1991 from Vandenberg Air Force Base to a target in the Kwajalein Missile Range , but
19000-691: The Persian Gulf War being coined "the first Space War." While U.S. space forces supported all U.S. military operations in the 1990s, Operation Allied Force marked the first use of Global Positioning System -aided munitions in a conflict, ushering in a new era of precision bombing. Following the September 11 attacks , U.S. space forces mobilized to respond as part of the Global War on Terrorism Operation Enduring Freedom , Operation Iraqi Freedom , and Operation Inherent Resolve . Creating
19190-596: The SMC 2.0 reorganization, which instead established the Development Corps, which was responsible for innovation and prototyping, a Production Corps, an Enterprise Corps, which conducted support for products and launch, and an Atlas Corps which provided personnel management. When the United States Space Force was established as an independent service on 20 December 2019, Air Force Space Command
19380-743: The Soviet Union, the Eisenhower administration attempted to centralize all military and civil space programs in the Advanced Research Projects Agency , however responsibility was returned to the military services in September 1959. The U.S. Army was designated as the lead service for communication satellites , the U.S. Navy for navigation satellites , and the U.S. Air Force for reconnaissance and surveillance satellites and space launch vehicles . This split arrangement lasted until March 1961, when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara assigned
19570-522: The Space Commission came out with its report on national security space. A major recommendation was realigning the Space and Missile Systems Center from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Space Command to consolidate management of space programs to one major command. This occurred on 1 October 2001. On 1 August 2006, the Space and Missile Systems Center reorganized itself along a traditional Air Force wing and group construct. These included
19760-768: The Space Development and Test Directorate to form the Advanced Systems and Development Directorate. The Range and Network Systems Division was eventually stood up to replace the functions of the Satellite Control and Network Systems Division and in 2015 the Defense Weather Systems Directorate and Infrared Space Systems Directorate were combined into the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate . In 2019, these directorates were all replaced as part of
19950-770: The Space Development and Test Directorate, the Space Logistics Group becoming the Space Logistics Directorate, the DMSP Group becoming the Defense Weather Systems Directorate, the Missile Defense Systems Group becoming the Missile Defense Systems Division, and the Satellite Control and Network Systems Group becoming the Satellite Control and Network Systems Division In 2014, the Space and Missile Systems Center combined its Developmental Planning Directorate and
20140-721: The Space Division did gain responsibility for some research and development functions, gaining the Air Force Space Technology Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in October 1982. The Air Force Space Technology Center consisted of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory , Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, and Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory . In 1990, the Air Force Space Technology Center was renamed
20330-524: The Space Force and the Center for Strategic and International Studies has also proposed moving missile defense into the Space Force. The Army also continues to maintain a cadre of Functional Area 40 space operations officers, although over 85% indicated they would transfer to the Space Force if able. The Army is also maintaining the 1st Space Brigade , however the RAND Corporation has conducted
20520-455: The Space Force can deploy and sustain equipment in outer space. This includes space launches as well as controlling and steering spacecraft out of the way of oncoming space debris to avoid collisions. The Space Force describes assured access to space as being able to make sure it can continue launching and conducting space operations 24/7. Missions supporting space access include launch , range control, cyber , and space domain awareness . In
20710-418: The Space Force to: The Space Force further breaks down its mission into three core functions, which align directly to its mission statement to "secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space:" Space superiority defends against space and counterspace threats by protecting spacecraft in space or protecting against attacks enabled by adversary spacecraft, requiring that the Space Force establish control of
20900-498: The Space Force, led by a civilian secretary of the Space Force. Secure our Nation's interests in, from, and to space. The Space Force's statutory responsibilities are outlined in 10 U.S.C. § 9081 and originally introduced in the United States Space Force Act , the Space Force is organized, trained, and equipped to: The Department of Defense further defines the specified functions of
21090-472: The Space Force, providing new ideas or deep knowledge about highly specialized issues. While the Space Force's headquarters is in Washington, D.C., the rest of the service is spread across the United States and abroad, across 18 states and territories and 46 bases and installations as of 2024. As the United States Space Force matures, and as national security requires, it will become necessary to create
21280-463: The Space Systems Division and Ballistic Systems Division were remerged, forming the Space and Missile Systems Office (SAMSO). This remerger was prompted by economic reasons and SAMSO was located as Los Angeles Air Force Station. SAMSO did not start any new ballistic missile programs, but did oversee the replacement of the Minuteman I with the Minuteman II, which had improved range and guidance, and
21470-804: The Space Systems Division and missile programs under the Ballistic Systems Division. The Ballistic Systems Division, which moved to Norton Air Force Base , continued the work of the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division on second-generation ballistic missiles. The first major missile system it worked on was the LGM-25C Titan II ICBM, which was an improvement over the LGM-25A Titan I. It featured storable propellent, an all-inertial guidance system, and could be launched from undergrounds missile silos . The first Titan IIs came on alert with Strategic Air Command in June 1963. It also began development of
21660-413: The Space Systems Division on 5 May 1990. As part of the Air Force's restructuring in the early 1990s, Air Force Systems Command merged with Air Force Logistics Command to form Air Force Materiel Command on 1 July 1992. As part of this merger, the Space Systems Division was redesignated as the Space and Missile Systems Center on the same date. On 1 October 1993, the 6592nd Air Base Group was redesignated
21850-639: The Space Systems Division was reorganized as the Space and Missile Systems Organization ( SAMSO ), absorbing the Ballistic Systems Division's mission. In 1979, the Space and Missile Systems Organization was renamed the Space Division and divested itself of ballistic missile development. In 1989, the Space Division returned to its historic name of the Space Systems Division and regained its ballistic missile development role in 1990. With
22040-596: The Space and Missile Systems Center built the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program and awarded the first contracts in 1995. One went to McDonnell Douglas for the Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy , while the other went to Lockheed Martin for the Atlas V . In 2006, the two launch providers merged to form United Launch Alliance . In 2016, SpaceX was awarded its first military launch under
22230-409: The Space and Missile Systems Center have broadened responsibility for all Department of Defense launches, from acquisition to deliver of spacecraft on-orbit. In August 1994, President Bill Clinton signed a National Transportation Space Policy, assigning responsibility for expendable launch vehicles to the Defense Department and directed it to develop improved variants of current vehicles. In response,
22420-571: The Space and Missile Systems Center name. In July 2021, President Biden nominated Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office Maj Gen Michael Guetlein to lead Space Systems Command. He was confirmed with a promotion to lieutenant general on 29 July 2021 which became effective on 13 August 2021. On 13 August 2021, the Space and Missile Systems Center was redesignated as Space Systems Command on 13 August 2021. The commander
22610-784: The Space and Missile Systems Center started development on the Wideband Global SATCOM system to replace the Defense Satellite Communications System and the Advanced Extremely High Frequency to replace Milstar. The Brilliant Pebbles space-based anti-missile interceptor was transferred to the Space and Missile Systems Center in 1993 from the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization , but was terminated in 1994. In 2001,
22800-568: The Strategic Defense Initiative. Congress began exploring establishing a Space Corps or Space Force in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The idea of establishing a Space Force was resurrected in the late 2010s in response to Russian and Chinese military space developments, resulting in the Space Force's establishment on 20 December 2019 during the Trump Administration . The Space Force is organized as part of
22990-474: The U.S. Air Force's ballistic missile program. It assumed responsibility for spacecraft development in 1955 and was renamed the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division ( AFBMD ) in 1957. As part of Air Research and Development Command's transformation, the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division's space and missile responsibilities were split. As such, the Space Systems Division ( SSD ) was established on 20 Mar 1961 and organized (activated) on 1 Apr 1961. In 1967,
23180-400: The U.S. Pacific Fleet in 1941. It was extremely critical of the Air Force's treatment of space, with few witnesses expressing confidence that the Air Force would address the requirement to provide space capabilities to the other services or move beyond treating space as just a support capability for air operations. The most significant recommendation of the Rumsfeld Commission was the creation of
23370-455: The United States and the Soviet Union and its successor, the Russian Federation, dramatically reduced the amount of nuclear warheads in each superpower's arsenal. This resulted in the U.S. Air Force reducing the amount of Minuteman missiles, reconfiguring its missiles to have only one warhead, and scrapping the Pershing missiles. Due to the dramatic reduction in ballistic missiles, the Space and Missile Systems Center's Ballistic Missile Organization
23560-411: The United States government to test missiles since 1949, when President Harry S. Truman established the Joint Long Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral. The location was among the best in the continental United States for this purpose, as it allowed for launches out over the Atlantic Ocean, and is closer to the equator than most other parts of the United States, allowing rockets to get a boost from
23750-416: The United States' dependence on space had increased, but comparatively little...[had] been achieved to make them more secure." It also noted, despite the recommendations of the Rumsfeld Commission, authority and responsibility for national security space remained fragmented and unfocused. Like the 2001 Rumsfeld Commission, the 2008 Allard Commission recommended establishing a Space Corps within the Department of
23940-512: The United States. NASA's Launch Services Program has three Launch Vehicle Data Centers (LVDC) within that display telemetry real-time for engineers. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip ( ICAO : KXMR , FAA LID : XMR ) is a military airport at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) northeast of Cocoa Beach, Florida . It has an asphalt -paved runway designated 13/31 and measuring 10,000 by 200 ft (3,048 by 61 m). The facility
24130-559: The capabilities of the Titan launch vehicles for its heavy lift capabilities. The Air Force constructed Launch Complexes 40 and 41 to launch Titan III and Titan IV rockets just south of Kennedy Space Center . A Titan III has about the same payload capacity as the Saturn IB at a considerable cost savings. Launch Complex 40 and 41 have been used to launch defense reconnaissance, communications and weather satellites and NASA planetary missions. The Air Force also planned to launch two Air Force crewed space projects from LC 40 and 41. They were
24320-405: The coast came to be known as Missile Row in the 1960s. NASA's first crewed spaceflight program was prepared for launch from Canaveral by U.S. Air Force crews. Mercury's objectives were to place a crewed spacecraft into Earth's orbit, investigate human performance and ability to function in space, and safely recover the astronaut and spacecraft. Suborbital flights were launched by derivatives of
24510-417: The core of the United States' space launch fleet. Following its 1958 establishment, NASA immediately began using the Thor for space launches and in 1959 developed the Thor-Delta . The Atlas was adopted by NASA in 1959 and Project Mercury used the Atlas LV-3B for its orbital flights, with the Army's Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle used only for sub-orbital flights. Following the launch of Sputnik 1 by
24700-469: The domain. The Space Force describes that at a time and place of the United States' choosing it must be able to assure continued use of spacecraft and deny adversaries use of their spacecraft or space-enabled capabilities. Mission that support space superiority include orbital warfare , electromagnetic warfare , and space battle management . Global mission operations integrates joint functions across all domains (land, air, maritime, space, cyberspace) on
24890-448: The earlier Saturn I and IB could be launched from the Cape's Launch Complexes 34 and 37 . The first four Saturn I development launches were made from LC-34 between October 27, 1961, and March 28, 1963. These were followed by the final test launch and five operational launches from LC-37 between January 29, 1964, and July 30, 1965. The Saturn IB uprated the capability of the Saturn I, so that it could be used for Earth orbital tests of
25080-419: The end of Apollo, but instead modified the Kennedy Space Center launch complex to handle the Saturn IB for the Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project launches. The LC-34 service structure and umbilical tower were razed, leaving only the concrete launch pedestal as a monument to the Apollo 1 crew. In 2001, LC-37 was recommissioned and converted to service Delta IV launch vehicles. The Air Force chose to expand
25270-625: The entire crew of Gus Grissom , Ed White and Roger Chaffee were killed in a cabin fire during a spacecraft test on pad 34 on January 27, 1967. The AS-204 rocket was used to launch the uncrewed, Earth orbital first test flight of the Apollo Lunar Module , Apollo 5 , from LC-37 on January 22, 1968. After significant safety improvements were made to the Command Module, Apollo 7 was launched from LC-34 to fulfill Apollo 1's mission, using Saturn IB AS-205 on October 11, 1968. In 1972, NASA deactivated both LC-34 and LC-37. It briefly considered reactivating both for Apollo Applications Program launches after
25460-431: The establishment of a Space Force if the Air Force could not, or would not, embrace spacepower. An independent Department of the Space Force would ensure that space got its fair share of resources within the Defense Department, with Senator Smith calling for the creation of a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force as a bridge to a fully independent Space Force. In 2000, Senator Smith led Congress in establishing
25650-444: The establishment of the Space Division on 1 October 1979, the Space and Missile Test Center was redesignated as the Space and Missile Test Organization, comprising the Eastern Space and Missile Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Western Space and Missile Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base. On 1 September 1982, Air Force Space Command was activated as the Air Force's first major command for space and on 1 October 1987
25840-457: The existing military space forces across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. While the Navy and Air Force gave up all of their space forces, the greatest resistance to transferring space forces came from the Army. While the Army transferred its satellite communications and missile warning assets, there are still calls for it to transfer 1st Space Brigade and 100th Missile Defense Brigade to the Space Force. The Heritage Foundation has called for
26030-491: The first American spacecraft to orbit and land on Venus (1978), the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn (2004), and to orbit Mercury (2011), and the first spacecraft to leave the Solar System (1977). Portions of the base have been designated a National Historic Landmark for their association with the early years of the American space program. Cape Canaveral was known as Cape Canaveral Launch Area upon its foundation in 1949, but renamed to LRPG Launching Area in 1950. It
26220-585: The first CORONA reconnaissance mission, recovering 3,000 feet of film from space and imaged 1.65 million square miles of the Soviet Union's territory. Concerned about the development of the Soviet Union's own space forces, the Air Force advocated for a military human spaceflight program. General Curtis LeMay described strong parallels between World War I aviation and 1960s space operations, noting how quickly flying evolved from chivalric and unarmed reconnaissance flights to combat efforts designed to destroy enemy air superiority . General LeMay believed that it
26410-464: The first Defense Meteorological Support Program Block 5D-2s and started the procurement process for DMSP Block 5D-3s, as well as starting the deployment of the Global Positioning System constellation. It also continued the Defense Satellite Communications System Phase III deployment, launching the first in 1982 and the full constellation was completed in 1993. The Military Strategic and Tactical Relay , or Milstar, strategic satellite communication program
26600-455: The first U.S. Earth satellite (1958), first U.S. astronaut (1961), first U.S. astronaut in orbit (1962), first two-man U.S. spacecraft (1965), first U.S. uncrewed lunar landing (1966), and first three-man U.S. spacecraft (1968). It was also the launch site for all of the first spacecraft to (separately) fly past each of the planets in the Solar System (1962–1977), the first spacecraft to orbit Mars (1971) and roam its surface (1996),
26790-425: The first five Mariner interplanetary probes. The Atlas-Centaur launch complex LC-36 was used for the 1960s Surveyor uncrewed lunar landing program and the last five Mariner probes through 1973. NASA has also launched communications and weather satellites from Launch Complexes 40 and 41 , built at the north end of the Cape in 1964 by the Air Force for its Titan IIIC and Titan IV rockets. From 1974 to 1977
26980-509: The first launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 in June 2010. Falcon 9 launches continued from this complex through 2015, consisting of uncrewed Commercial Resupply Services missions for NASA to the International Space Station as well as commercial satellite flights. On September 30th, 2024, SpaceX launched the first crewed flight from SLC-40 . SpaceX has also leased Launch Complex 39 A from NASA and has completed modifying it to accommodate Falcon Heavy and Commercial Crew crewed spaceflights to
27170-515: The first time that military space forces were unleashed to their fullest extent. Over sixty spacecraft provided 90% of theater communications and command and control for a multinational army of 500,000 troops, weather support for commanders and mission planners, missile warning of Iraqi Scud missile launches, and satellite navigation for air and land forces moving across a featureless desert. The decisive role that space forces played directly enabled an overwhelming Coalition victory and led to
27360-468: The foundation for the first-generation of space launch vehicles . The first space launch vehicle developed by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division was the Thor-Able , which used a Thor IRBM as the first stage and a Vanguard -derived Able . Its first launch was on 11 October 1958. The first satellite launched by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division was the Army Signal Corps SCORE using an Atlas B . The Thor and Atlas rocket families would form
27550-481: The full constellation being formed in 1979. SAMSO also operationalized the Lincoln Experimental Satellites and Tactical Communications Satellite, building the Fleet Satellite Communications System (FLTSATCOM). Although the FLTSATCOM program was owned by the Navy, SAMSO managed the satellite acquisition, which started in 1971. It also managed the Air Force Satellite Communications system which became operational in 1978 and relied on transponders on FLTSATCOM and enabled
27740-422: The headquarters level, the Space Force is led by the Chief of Space Operations , a four-star general who reports to the Secretary of the Air Force and provides military advice to civilian leadership of the Department of Defense and the White House . Alongside the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force combine to form the Department of the Air Force, like how the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps combine to form
27930-514: The issue, recalling that Starfleet's logo was chosen as an homage to the Space Force's direct predecessors in military space operations. The service also chose the title "Guardian" to represent its personnel, becoming its counterpart to Soldier and Airman. The term "Guardian" has a long history within Air Force Space Command, originally serving as part of its motto: "Guardians of the High Frontier." The Space Force also adopted Semper Supra as its official motto and unveiled its service song , sharing
28120-418: The location of the area at 28°27'N put it at a slight disadvantage against other launch facilities situated nearer the equator. The boost eastward from the Earth's rotation is about 406 m/s (908 miles per hour) at Cape Canaveral, but 463 m/s (1,035 miles per hour) at the European Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. In the case of high-inclination (polar) launches, the latitude does not matter, but
28310-450: The long haul, our safety as a nation may depend upon achieving "space superiority." Several decades from now, the important battles may not be sea battles or air battles, but space battles, and we should be spending a certain fraction of our national resources to ensure that we do not lag in obtaining space supremacy. The beginnings of the U.S. Space Force can be traced to the Aftermath of World War II . General Henry H. Arnold , commander of
28500-420: The merger of Air Force Systems Command and Air Force Logistics Command in 1992, the Space Systems Division was redesignated the Space and Missile Systems Center ( SMC ). In response to the recommendations of the Space Commission, in 2001 it was reassigned to Air Force Space Command , remaining attached through its redesignation as Space Operations Command in October 2020. On 22 April 2021, it transferred from
28690-431: The need to have a diverse fleet of space launch vehicles. The Titan IV had its first launch in 1989 and could use either the Inertial Upper Stage or an upgraded Centaur stage. It also began the development of two new medium launch vehicles, with the Delta II intended to launch the Global Positioning System and the Atlas II intended to launch the Defense Satellite Communications System . The Space Division launched
28880-484: The newly built Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, rather than at Canaveral or at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. The Apollo program's goal of landing a man on the Moon required development of the Saturn family of rockets. The large Saturn V rocket necessary to take men to the Moon required a larger launch facility than Cape Canaveral could provide, so NASA built the Kennedy Space Center located west and north of Canaveral on Merritt Island. But
29070-467: The powerful Titan IIIE served as the heavy-lift vehicle for NASA, launching the Viking and Voyager series of planetary spacecraft and the Cassini–Huygens Saturn probe from LC-41. Three Cape Canaveral pads are currently operated by private industry for military and civilian launches: SLC-41 for the Atlas V and SLC-37B for the Delta IV , both for United Launch Alliance heavy payloads; and SLC-40 for SpaceX Falcon 9 . The Boeing X-37B ,
29260-507: The program only had a single test flight, OPS 0855 , before being canceled in 1969. The Space Systems Division also was responsible for anti-satellite weapons development. The first United States ASAT system was the Army's Nike Zeus missiles located at Kwajalein Missile Range and declared operational in 1963, but shut down in 1964 by the Defense Department, which favored the Air Force's ASAT efforts. The Space Systems Division's Program 437 used Thor boosters and nuclear warheads to destroy
29450-482: The remaining Titan II missiles and placing them into storage for possible conversion into space launch vehicles. Under the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks , both the United States and Soviet Union were limited in the number of missiles they could deploy. This shifted the focus to quality. In 1973, the Space and Missile Systems Organization started the MX program, which looked at traditionally silo-based, ground-mobile, and air-launched ballistic missile options. In 1982, it
29640-580: The same name. The decision on if the Space Force's ranks would mirror the Army, like the Air Force and Marine Corps, or the Navy, generated significant controversy, with Congressman Dan Crenshaw introducing an amendment which would force the Space Force to pattern itself after the Navy's rank structure. Ultimately, the amendment failed and the Space Force followed an Air Force/Army/Marine Corps-based rank scheme. The Space Force began to officially incorporate former Air Force Space Command units in 2020 and 2021, standing up field commands to serve as counterparts to
29830-458: The service gained its first astronaut when Colonel Michael S. Hopkins swore into the Space Force aboard the International Space Station on 18 December 2020. The Space Force also began to build out its culture and identity, however, it experienced several public relations challenges due to its perceived ties to science fiction and links to President Trump. The Space Force adopted the Army and Air Force's OCP Uniform with blue stitching and
30020-519: The service. Following the Persian Gulf War , the Air Force and Defense Department declared that "space power has now become as important to the nation as land, sea, and air power." Despite this public pronouncement, a growing section of Congress believed that space was being shortchanged and used only as an auxiliary to air operations. In 1998, drawing parallels between the challenges faced by post-World War I Army Aviators and post-Gulf War Air Force space operators, Senator Bob Smith publicly called for
30210-418: The shuttle. The Space Division had been developing the Titan 34D as a backup in the event that there were any issues with the Shuttle program and after two launch failures in 1985 and 1986 suspended Titan 34 Launches, they resumed in 1987, restoring the only launch alternative to the Space Shuttle for large payloads. The Titan IV had already started development in 1985, but the Challenger disaster reinforced
30400-399: The site was from 1983 to 1989 for tethered aerostat balloon radar missions. It is now deactivated. Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) is a deactivated launch site on the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral. It was constructed with launch complexes 1, 3, and 4, in the early 1950s, for the Snark missile program . The first launch from this site was a Snark test conducted on February 18, 1954. The complex
30590-462: The wholesale transfer of United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command , to include the 100th Missile Defense Brigade and the 1st Space Brigade . The 100th Missile Defense Brigade operates the Ground Based Interceptor system and is located at Schriever Space Force Base , Vandenberg Space Force Base , and Fort Greely . Former Air Force space officers have called to move the missile defense and intercontinental ballistic missile mission to
30780-439: The world, establishing the Western Development Division in 1954 and placing it under the command of General Schriever. The Army followed a year later, creating the Army Ballistic Missile Agency under the leadership of General John Bruce Medaris and Dr. Wernher von Braun . The Army led the United States into space, launching the first American spacecraft, Explorer 1 , on 31 January 1958. Space exploration continued to be
30970-422: Was also the Department of Defense lead for the Space Transportation System , which would be developed into the Space Shuttle . As part of its contribution, it built a Space Shuttle launch and recovery site at Vandenberg Air Force Base for polar launches and also developed the Inertial Upper Stage . The Space and Missile Systems Organization also oversaw the first launch of the Defense Support Program in 1970 on
31160-429: Was canceled in 1963 when it was determined that the Blue Gemini program would better satisfy its objectives. However, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara announced the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program, which was assigned to the Space Systems Division by General Bernard Schriever. Douglas Aircraft Company was responsible for the spacecraft, and the Space Systems Division was developing the Titan IIIM booster. However,
31350-440: Was canceled in 1987, while the Consolidated Space Operations Center gradually came online in 1989 and was fully transferred to Air Force Space Command in 1993. The Space Division also continued the air-launched ASAT program that SAMSO started in 1976, culminating in the development of the ASM-135 ASAT . Its first test was on 21 January 1984 and on 13 September 1985, it was launched from a McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle to destroy
31540-501: Was canceled in 1992 due to the end of the Cold War. The Space Division continued the Space and Missile Systems Organization's military development of the Space Shuttle alongside NASA, however in 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded during launch, forcing NASA to suspend all launches until 1988. Not only did it suspend the development of Shuttle launch and recovery facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, but also delayed all military payloads that were scheduled to be launched on
31730-491: Was established to manage Los Angeles Air Force Station . The first space missions launched by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division were not military, the but scientific Pioneer lunar probes . First directed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, they were later turned over to NASA. The Thor-Able rocket was specifically developed by the Air Force Ballistic Missile Agency for these lunar missions, which aimed to enhance scientific knowledge and American global prestige during
31920-476: Was first launched on an Air Force Ballistic Missile Division booster in 1960 and achieved initial operational capability in 1964 and full operational capability in 1968. Transit used three operational satellites to enable users on ships and submarines to calculate their location in two dimensions and continued to operate until 1996. The Navy and Air Force both began follow on programs, with the Space and Missile Systems Organization developing Project 621B , envisioning
32110-438: Was followed by the establishment of the joint United States Space Command in 1985, aligning Air Force Space Command, Naval Space Command , and Army Space Command under a single operational commander. These two moves, along with the Strategic Defense Initiative 's establishment by President Ronald Reagan , led to a renaissance of military space operations in the 1980s. Space forces were first used in combat operations during
32300-575: Was immediately redesignated as United States Space Force, however, the command and its 16,000 Airmen technically remained part of the Air Force. On 3 April 2020, Chief Master Sergeant Roger A. Towberman became the Space Force's second member and was appointed its first senior enlisted leader . The service gained its first new second lieutenants when 86 members of the U.S. Air Force Academy class of 2020 became Space Force members 3 through 88 on 18 April 2020. Currently serving Air Force space operators began to become Space Force members in September 2020 and
32490-420: Was included in the Trump Administration's original legislative proposal to give the Space Force additional independence and autonomy but was removed by the Senate. There have also been numerous calls from inside and outside the Space Force for it to have its own public affairs and judge advocate generals, independent from Air Force. When the Space Force was established in 2019 it was intended to consolidate
32680-399: Was intended as a heavier counterpart to Discoverer and used the Atlas-Agena booster. SAMOS was intended to collect photographic and electromagnetic reconnaissance data, but instead of returning film capsules to earth, SAMOS would electronically transmit the data to ground stations. However, the technology for electro-optical film readout was not mature and it was canceled by Undersecretary of
32870-487: Was intended to replace the Defense Metrological Support Program and be operated by NOAA, but the program collapsed due to cost overruns in 2010 and a full merging of the programs has not occurred. A second Defense Department-only effort, the Defense Weather Satellite System , was canceled by Congress in 2012. The Global Positioning System constellation became fully completed in 1994 and achieved initial operational capability in 1995. Milstar had its first launch in 1995 and
33060-489: Was known as Cape Canaveral Auxiliary Air Force Base from 1951 to 1955, and Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex from 1955 to 1964. The facility was later known as Cape Kennedy Air Force Station from 1964 to 1974, and as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from 1974 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2020, taking the designation Cape Canaveral Air Station from 1994 to 2000. The facility was renamed "Cape Canaveral Space Force Station" in December 2020. The CCSFS area had been used by
33250-416: Was launched into orbit by a derivative of the Air Force Titan II missile . Twelve Gemini flights were launched from LC-19 , ten of which were crewed. The first crewed flight, Gemini 3 , took place on March 23, 1965. Later Gemini flights were supported by seven uncrewed launches of the Agena Target Vehicle on the Atlas-Agena from LC-14 , to develop rendezvous and docking , critical for Apollo. Two of
33440-411: Was made by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency on February 1, 1958 (UTC) from Canaveral's LC-26A using a Juno I RS-29 missile. NASA's first launch, Pioneer 1 , came on October 11 of the same year from LC-17A using a Thor -Able rocket. Besides Project Gemini, the Atlas-Agena launch complexes LC-12 and LC-13 were used during the 1960s for the uncrewed Ranger and Lunar Orbiter programs and
33630-487: Was merged with other Air Force laboratories to form the Air Force Research Laboratory and Kirtland Air Force Base and its 377th Air Base Wing was transferred to the Air Armament Center on 1 October 1998. The remaining space functions at Kirtland AFB, including test and evaluation, launch of experimental payloads, and Space Shuttle Operations were consolidated into Detachment 12 which activated on 29 June 2001. The START I treaty of 1991 and START II treaty of 1993 between
33820-525: Was naive to believe that the same trends were not expected to be seen in space and must be prepared for. Although the Air Force made significant progress in developing the X-20 spaceplane , Manned Orbiting Laboratory , and Blue Gemini , opposition from the Department of Defense prevented operational fielding. The Air Force was also forced to cancel Project SAINT , a satellite inspector with satellite neutralization capabilities, when details were leaked to The New York Times in 1962. Despite these setbacks,
34010-439: Was named the LGM-118 Peacekeeper ICBM by President Ronald Reagan and was capable of launching ten reentry vehicles at different targets more than 6,000 miles away. In 1983, the Peacekeeper had its first test launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base to a target in the Kwajalein Missile Range and the first went on alert with Strategic Air Command in 1986, being fully deployed in 1988. The permanent basing construct including making
34200-461: Was officially inactivated in September 1993. The Space and Missile Systems Center followed up on the Space Division's development of the Delta II and Atlas II space launch vehicles, procuring launches using the upgraded Atlas III , which used the Russian RD-180 engine. Following six launch failures from April 1998 to May 1999 the Department of Defense started the Launch Broad Area Review, releasing its report in November 1999 and recommending that
34390-405: Was outlined in Space Policy Directive-4, initially organizing the U.S. Space Force as part of the Department of the Air Force, but with plans to build out a separate Department of the Space Force in the future. In 2019, Congress passed legislation establishing the U.S. Space Force as a military service under the Department of the Air Force. On 20 December 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act
34580-407: Was provided at the Mercury Control Center located at Canaveral near LC-14. On November 29, 1963, following the death of President John F. Kennedy , his successor Lyndon B. Johnson issued Executive Order 11129 renaming both NASA's Merritt Island Launch Operations Center and "the facilities of Station No. 1 of the Atlantic Missile Range" (a reference to the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex) as
34770-419: Was recognized as the lead military service for space by the early 1960s, with the Army and Navy operating in supporting roles. Early military space efforts were focused on developing and fielding spacecraft to accomplish national objectives, with a focus on weather , reconnaissance and surveillance , communications , and navigation . On 18 August 1961, the Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office launched
34960-439: Was redesignated as United States Space Force, but functionally remained a major command within the Air Force. The Space and Missile Systems Center remained a part of United States Space Force as it was redesignated as Space Operations Command , until it was reassigned to Headquarters Space Force on 22 April 2021 and officially transferred from the U.S. Air Force center to a U.S. Space Force field command, although it continued to use
35150-399: Was signed into law and the U.S. Space Force was established as the sixth armed service, meeting the Rumsfeld and Allard commissions' recommendations to create a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force, but still falling short of creating a separate Department of the Space Force. We are at the dawn of a new era for our Nation’s Armed Forces. The establishment of the U.S. Space Force
35340-534: Was started in 1982. The Space Division initiated the largest change to the Air Force Satellite Control Network since its inception, with Secretary of Defense Harold Brown authorizing the construction of a Consolidated Space Operations Center at Falcon Air Force Base in 1979. It was intended to comprise two parts, a Satellite Operations Complex to replace Onizuka Air Force Base and a Shuttle Operations and Planning Center to replace Johnson Space Center for military missions. The Shuttle Operation and Planning Center
35530-416: Was the Convair SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile , however by 1955 it initiated development of the Martin HGM-25A Titan I ICBM and Douglas PGM-17 Thor intermediate range ballistic missile . On 10 October 1955, the Western Development Division gained responsibility for spacecraft development when the Weapon System 117L satellite, intended to conduct reconnaissance and missile warning,
35720-406: Was transferred from the Wright Air Development Center . On 1 June 1957, the Western Development Division was renamed the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division. On 20 September 1957, the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division conducted the first launch of a Thor missile from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , Florida and on 17 December 1957, also performed the first launch of an Atlas missile. By 1960,
35910-416: Was used for Snark missions until 1960, and then was utilized as a helicopter pad during Project Mercury . The final use of the site was during the 1980s for tethered aerostat balloon radar missions. Launch Complex 3 (LC-3) is a deactivated launch site southeast of SLC-36 at Cape Canaveral. It was constructed, with launch complexes 1, 2, and 4, in the early 1950s for the Snark missile program . It
36100-413: Was used for the Delta II Heavy variant, through 2011. Launch Complexes SLC-37 and SLC-41 were modified to launch EELV Delta IV and Atlas V launch vehicles, respectively. These launch vehicles replaced all earlier Delta, Atlas, and Titan rockets. Launch Complex SLC-47 is used to launch weather sounding rockets. Launch Complex SLC-46 is reserved for use by Space Florida . SLC-40 hosted
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