History of the US Space Force: From Cold War to Present Day

The United States Space Force (USSF) is the newest branch of the United States Armed Forces, officially established on December 20, 2019, with the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 by President Donald Trump. While the establishment of the Space Force is a recent development, the history of the United States' involvement in space exploration and national security goes back several decades.

The origins of the US Space Force can be traced back to the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a space race to demonstrate their technological superiority. In 1958, the US government established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lead the country's civilian space program. However, the military also played a significant role in space exploration, with the United States Air Force (USAF) launching the first satellite into orbit, the Explorer 1, in 1958.

The USAF continued to operate most of the country's military space assets until the creation of the US Space Command (USSPACECOM) in 1985. USSPACECOM was established to provide centralized command and control of all US military space assets, including surveillance, communication, and navigation satellites. In 2002, the US government established the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) to take over the operational control of USSPACECOM.

In 2018, President Trump announced his intention to establish a separate Space Force as the sixth branch of the US Armed Forces, arguing that space had become a warfighting domain and that a separate branch was necessary to ensure the country's continued dominance in space. After a year of debate and negotiation, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 was signed into law, officially creating the US Space Force.

The USSF is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping military space forces, and its mission is to protect US interests in space and provide space capabilities to the joint force. The USSF is headquartered at the Pentagon and is led by a four-star general known as the Chief of Space Operations.

Since its establishment, the USSF has made significant progress in building its organizational structure, recruiting personnel, and developing its capabilities. The USSF has also been involved in several high-profile missions, including the launch of the GPS III satellite and the first manned flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.

While the US Space Force is a relatively new development, it has a long history of US involvement in space exploration and national security. Its establishment marks a significant step in the United States' efforts to maintain its dominance in space and ensure the security of its interests in this increasingly important domain.