A painting by artist Rick Herter titled "High Ground Intercept" was presented at an official cereomny at Space Operations Command at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., on Oct. 20, 2023. John Ayre/USSF
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2024 USAF & USSF Almanac: U.S. Space Force
June 7, 2024
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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
The U.S. Space Force was created on Dec. 20, 2019. The Space Force exists as a separate military service within the Department of the Air Force, lead by the Chief of Space Operations.
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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
In the last five years, the annual launch rate at the Space Force’s West Coast range has surged from a handful of missions to 66 in 2025. Now, Vandenberg Space Force Base in California expects to support 150 launches in the next five years and upwards of 200 by 2036.
The U.S. Air Force Academy took another step toward emerging from a senior leader shakeup this week with the selection of a new commandant of cadets—though it is still unclear who will be the Academy’s next superintendent with the impending retirement of Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind.
Some Air Force aviators may be able to earn up to $600,000 if they extend their service through the fiscal 2026 Aviation Bonus program. But they have just a few weeks to apply before the May 31 deadline, according to an April 8 announcement.
The Space Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $105 million contract to continue supporting its interim GPS ground system as the Pentagon considers the future of a broader, long-delayed modernization effort.
The Space Force chose an initial pool of 14 contractors to compete to build a constellation of maneuverable satellites designed to observe and track activity in geosynchronous orbit.
As the list of countries developing both kinetic and nonkinetic space weapons grows, more nations are investing in “bodyguard” capabilities designed to protect and respond to threats against their space assets, according to a new report.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed “a historic military victory” after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire late April 7, even as he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said American forces will remain “ready” to resume operations should the ceasefire expire without a longer peace deal.
After canceling a program to modernize the network of antennas that track and manage Defense Department and other U.S. government satellites, the Space Force has issued a notice to industry seeking input on what existing infrastructure might be available to meet that need.
The Department of the Air Force has cut the number of days all ranks of Airmen and Guardians can gain civilian work experience through the SkillBridge program during their last six months of service.
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