United States Space Force (USSF) was signed into law Dec. 20, 2019 as part of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
This new branch of the US military is intended "to undertake missions and operations in the rapidly evolving space domain".
Space Force, the 6th independent branch of the United States Armed Forces, falls under the Air Force in the same way the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy. The Air Force, Navy, and Army are subordinate departments of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the world's largest employer.
The Space Force, through the Department of the Air Force, is headed by the Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, and is appointed by the President with Senate confirmation.
Space Force is organized, trained, and equipped to:
- Provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to space
- Provide prompt and sustained space operations
and its duties include to:
- Protect the interests of the United States in space
- Deter aggression in, from, and to space
- Conduct space operations
