Gen. Lance W. Lord, who is commander of Air Force Space Command and currently the longest serving Air Force four-star on active duty, plans to retire on April 1, after 37 years of service. AFSPC officials say details for the change of command ceremony are forthcoming, as is the name of his successor. Officials also say that the Space Command NCO force will bestow its order of the sword upon Lord on Feb. 11.
A new White House policy calls for the Pentagon to craft plans for additional space launch facilities to support a projected increase in launch demand that could see the U.S. supporting as many as 1,000 launches by 2030, more than a fivefold increase from 2025.