2022 USAF & USSF Almanac: U.S. Space Force

Q&A: The New Chief of Space Operations on Empowering the Force

Nov. 27, 2022

Gen. B. Chance “Salty” Saltzman became the second-ever Chief of Space Operations on Nov. 2, bringing with him a resume unlikely ever to be repeated. A space operator most of his career, he was the deputy air component commander at U.S. Central Command and the first Space Force S-3 operations…

CNAS Report: Defense Budget Must Better Match Strategy, Increase Precision Munitions Purchases

Nov. 22, 2022

The Department of Defense must do more to make sure its budget matches up with the needs of its overall strategy, according to a new report from the Center for a New American Security. The report places particular focus on the fiscal 2023 budget request, which was submitted to Congress…

Space Force Stands Up Its First Geographic Component Command, Prioritizing the Pacific

Nov. 22, 2022

The Space Force and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command formalized a new chain of command for Guardians in the Pacific, activating a new service component command of the unified combatant command. Establishing U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific gives the Space Force a seat “at the table” to plan for activities in the INDOPACOM…

US Remains Committed to Middle East Despite Strategy Shift, Kahl Says

Nov. 18, 2022

The Department of Defense's senior policy official laid out the Biden administration’s security strategy for the Middle East. In a speech in Bahrain, Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, said the U.S. is still committed to the region despite a shift in its security focus away from the Middle East…

USSF Was Almost ‘No Go’ for Artemis Moon Launch—Had to Replace a Faulty Switch

Nov. 17, 2022

A snag in Space Launch Delta 45’s testing of the Artemis 1 flight termination system contributed to a delay of the very-early-morning launch Nov. 16, one of two last-minute glitches in the final preparations to launch America’s new moon rocket for the first time.

Pentagon Says Ukraine Airspace Still Contested Amid Russian Missile Attack; Strike in Poland Being Investigated

Nov. 15, 2022

A barrage of Russian missiles struck Ukraine on Nov. 15, causing widespread power outages. Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder said U.S. officials assessed that they were likely standoff weapons launched from Russian aircraft outside of Ukraine as airspace over the country remains contested. But as reports emerged…

Lunar Activities Advance as Cubesat Enters Orbit, AFRL Awards ‘Oracle’ Contract

Nov. 15, 2022

A cubesat sent to blaze a trail for NASA’s next space station arrived in lunar orbit Nov. 13—the first cubesat known to ever have done so—after a voyage that proved tense at times. Meanwhile the small company that created the tiny spacecraft secured a new deal with the Air Force…

Space Force Makes Its Premier Exercise an International Affair

Nov. 14, 2022

Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are sending military members to join in the U.S. Space Force's newly expanded Space Flag exercise next month. Space Training and Readiness Command confirmed the roster of international coalition partners joining Space Flag 23-1 in December.

Space Force’s X-37B Lands After More Than 900 Days in Orbit; What Comes Next?

Nov. 14, 2022

The Space Force’s X-37B space plane returned to Earth on Nov. 12, concluding its longest mission yet after nearly two and a half years in orbit. The orbital test vehicle touched down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility early in the morning of Nov. 12, the Space Force…

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