Trump directs creation of 'space force' as sixth branch of military

[Spencer100]

Going full Star Trek

https://spacenews.com/space-force-unveils-logo-semper-supra-motto/

 

[dapaterson]

Dear Space Force,

What the hell is wrong with you?  Space uses Navy, not Army, ranks.  The track record of Army ranks in command of spaceships is poor.  As analysed by Space Ranks expert, William Shatner,

Major Don West’s ineptness caused the space family Robinson to be “Lost in Space” on their space ship the Jupiter 2 forever.

There’s Major Anthony Nelson — who piloted a spacecraft that came crashing down next to a deserted island where he found an ancient bottle that contained a woman named Jeannie and brought the attention of Colonel Alfred Bellows to him for his crazy antics at NASA.

We cannot forget USAF Colonel Steve Austin, an astronaut who crashed his ship and severely injured himself that cost taxpayers $6 million to put him back together, who was portrayed by my dear friend, Lee Majors.

https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/08/26/what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-you-space-force/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Socialflow+MIL

 

[a_majoor]

The USSF considers how to conduct operations in cis Lunar space:

https://spacenews.com/moon-patrols-could-be-a-future-reality-for-the-u-s-military/

Moon patrols could be a future reality for Space Force
by Sandra Erwin — November 2, 2020
“It’s a brave new world for the DoD to embark on,” said Capt. David Buehler, manager of the AFRL experiment named CHPS, for Cislunar Highway Patrol System.

U.S. military space activities today are confined to Earth orbit. That could change in the coming years as NASA begins to establish a permanent presence at the moon and works with the private sector to develop a cislunar economy. The military foresees playing a role protecting those interests if they were challenged by a foreign power.

The Space Force echoes that thinking in a doctrine document published in August, which says the service must prepare for a future when the moon and the volume of space around it could become the next military frontier.

The Pentagon made known its interest in deep space in spring 2019, when then-director of the Space Development Agency Fred Kennedy revealed that tracking objects in the lunar sphere was on the agency’s priority list.

A key development last month was the announcement by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate that it will embark on an experiment to investigate technologies to monitor cislunar space.

“It’s a brave new world for the DoD to embark on,” said Capt. David Buehler, manager of the AFRL experiment named CHPS, for Cislunar Highway Patrol System.

The U.S. Space Force is contemplating a time when its responsibilities could extend beyond geostationary Earth orbit, Buehler told SpaceNews.

“If we’re going to protect and defend, the Space Force is going to need to understand the environment, have space domain awareness capabilities to be able to know where everything is out there,” Buehler said.

“I think our experiment is extremely groundbreaking,” he said. “This could be the first mission for DoD going beyond GEO.”

Buehler said the details of the experiment are nowhere close to being decided. AFRL plans to solicit ideas from the private sector and assess different technologies and approaches, he said. The Space Vehicles Directorate plans to host a conference for interested contractors sometime in 2021 at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, but the timing will depend on the coronavirus situation, Buehler said.

Scientists widely agree that the surveillance of cislunar space presents daunting technical challenges, he said. One of them is estimating the trajectory of objects that are subject to both the Earth’s and the moon’s gravitational effects, said Buehler. “As you go further and further beyond GEO, you start to have these weird, non-closed trajectories, they no longer look like orbits, they’re more open-ended trajectories.”

And the distances are mind-boggling, he added. “We have 1,000 times more volume to surveil. The space after the moon and beyond is 1,000 times larger, so you’re dealing with an enormous amount of volume.”

The brightness of the moon also creates obstacles for sensors. “And that’s one of the things we’re hoping to overcome with CHPS,” Buehler said. “If you can get out near the moon, you can start to beat down some of those brightness challenges.”

As the project moves forward, AFRL will seek advice from the Space Development Agency, the Space and Missile Systems Center, and NASA. “We’re looking to actively partner with NASA wherever we can,” said Buehler. “Obviously, they have the expertise operating far beyond GEO that DoD just does not have.”

This ties into the idea of the "Artimis Accords", which create a legal framework for the exploitation of extraterrestial resources. If you can stake a claim to (for example) lunar water, who is going to protect your rights? And there is a synergistic effect as well, since the use of resources in space can be leveraged to increase capabilities - using lunar water to create rocket propellant for spacecraft already in orbit, of layers of protective shielding for manned spacecraft (shich does not have to be lifted at great expense from Earth).

 

[daftandbarmy]

The USSF considers how to conduct operations in cis Lunar space:

https://spacenews.com/moon-patrols-could-be-a-future-reality-for-the-u-s-military/

This ties into the idea of the "Artimis Accords", which create a legal framework for the exploitation of extraterrestial resources. If you can stake a claim to (for example) lunar water, who is going to protect your rights? And there is a synergistic effect as well, since the use of resources in space can be leveraged to increase capabilities - using lunar water to create rocket propellant for spacecraft already in orbit, of layers of protective shielding for manned spacecraft (shich does not have to be lifted at great expense from Earth).

Regardless, if you control the locations on Earth they have to launch and support these missions from, you still control outer space.

Earth is still the Vital Ground.

 

[CBH99]

I just find it mind boggling and exciting that our grandchildren & great grandchildren will have an extremely likely chance of going on a 'lunar patrol' or doing a 'low earth orbit tour' as part of their military service. 

 

[a_majoor]

Regardless, if you control the locations on Earth they have to launch and support these missions from, you still control outer space.

Earth is still the Vital Ground.

And space is the high ground that provides overwatch for your vital ground and can deny it to the adversary

I just find it mind boggling and exciting that our grandchildren & great grandchildren will have an extremely likely chance of going on a 'lunar patrol' or doing a 'low earth orbit tour' as part of their military service. 

Lets just hope any future Canadian Space Force isn't going to allow "rust out" or leave astronauts using 50 year old equipment while replacement programs are endlessly debated....

 

[OldSolduer]

And space is the high ground

Obi Wan had the high ground too - look what happened.  ;D

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I wonder what Harris administration will do with the Space Force. Will she keep it after all the ridicule and derision the Dems heaped on it?

 

[CBH99]

I wonder what Harris administration will do with the Space Force. Will she keep it after all the ridicule and derision the Dems heaped on it?

I think if there is one thing we've all learned not just from American politics, but our own as well.  The bureaucracy is really in charge, whether they realize it or not.

The President, for all the powers bestowed upon them, can't get anything done cleanly or efficiently.  There is a massive political adversary regardless of what the issue is, and a judiciary obligated to hear the challenges, lawsuits, constitutional challenges, etc etc.


The cost to eliminate that branch of the military, even though it is still in it's infancy, would be more than just keeping them as a distant cousin of the USAF Space Command.  And as space becomes ever more important not only to operations on the ground, but operations in Earth & Lunar orbit, I imagine "Space Force" is here to stay.  :2c:

 

[daftandbarmy]

I wonder what Harris administration will do with the Space Force. Will she keep it after all the ridicule and derision the Dems heaped on it?

Space.com seems to think a Biden government won't axe it: https://www.space.com/election-2020-space-policy-trump-biden

 

[FJAG]

I wonder what Harris administration will do with the Space Force. Will she keep it after all the ridicule and derision the Dems heaped on it?

I didn't think that Space Force was a necessity.

I don't think that taking it apart is a necessity either.

It's another stove pipe but my guess is that it was a stove pipe when it was Air Force Space Command as well. Let them keep it. They've already paid for a crest and new letterhead paper. (Besides, if they reintegrate Space Force into the Air Force then Netflix won't give Steve Carell a second season)

:2c:

 

[tomahawk6]

The future site of Space Command has 6 finalists. Where ever they select will be somewhere warm. ;D

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/pentagon-announces-six-finalists-as-locations-for-us-space-command-headquarters-1.652761

 

[tomahawk6]

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/space-force-troops-get-lapel-pin-and-badge-to-wear-on-their-air-force-uniforms-for-now-1.655310

 

[FJAG]

Do they also function as communicators like these?

;D

 

[brihard]

You know what, probably wouldn’t be at all hard to manufacture a decent looking aftermarket one with a small rechargeable battery, Bluetooth, and the ability to touch- activate to talk to your phone’s assistant (Siri, etc). Someone will make a modest amount of money doing this.

 

[dapaterson]

You know what, probably wouldn’t be at all hard to manufacture a decent looking aftermarket one with a small rechargeable battery, Bluetooth, and the ability to touch- activate to talk to your phone’s assistant (Siri, etc). Someone will make a modest amount of money doing this.

You can already get a Real Star Trek communicator in Bluetooth...

https://www.thewandcompany.com/communicator/

 

[FJAG]

You can already get a Real Star Trek communicator in Bluetooth...

https://www.thewandcompany.com/communicator/

Yeah but that's the old analog one from back in the 60s. It probably has little tubes and wires in it.

;D

 

[tomahawk6]

Space Force expansion to triple its size.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/space-force-plans-to-nearly-triple-in-size-in-second-year-could-accept-army-navy-transfers-1.655445

 

[FJAG]

Space Force expansion to triple its size.

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/space-force-plans-to-nearly-triple-in-size-in-second-year-could-accept-army-navy-transfers-1.655445

Makes sense as does the idea to open transfers to the other services and form a reserve component. It's not really a "flying" force and therefore many different non-Air Force specialties will be of value.

:cheers:

 

[Cloud Cover]

Space Force expansion to triple its size.

Thats a lot of french fries, waffles and bacon.