COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo –
Gen. Stephen Whiting, U.S. Space Command commander, kicked off the 41st Space Symposium’s program on April 14, 2026, by reflecting on 250 years of military history, and how that legacy continues to shape the Joint Force’s identity and readiness.
Whiting, whose keynote this year marks his third at Symposium as the commander of USSPACECOM, suggested that while the uniforms and kit worn by the American forces fighting to secure our nation’s independence would look unrecognizable today, the foundational principles that define our modern military – resolve, teamwork, and initiative – are cut from the same cloth.
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th year of independence Whiting said the 1781 siege of Yorktown during the American Revolution, serves as a framework for the way USSPACECOM thinks about its operations and its team.
“That victory wasn’t just about courage on the battlefield, it was also about unity of effort, trust between partners, and the integration of capabilities—principles that remain at the core of how we operate today at U.S. Space Command,” Whiting said.
The success of the Yorktown Campaign, Whiting said, was achieved through disciplined synchronization of maneuver, deception and coalition power across multiple domains, which is no different to the way USSPACECOM – and the entire Joint Force – projects power and strength today.
“In 1781, control of the Chesapeake shaped the outcome at Yorktown,” Whiting said. “Today, space shapes the outcome of every global operation.”
But Whiting noted that this alignment doesn’t happen by accident. Just as the Revolutionary era Americans did, USSPACECOM is prepared to fight – and win – as a team. The fusion of technical expertise, commercial innovation, and diverse warfighting perspectives into an operational advantage represents the dedication and leadership of the people behind our partnerships.
This year, dubbed the “Year of Integration,” at USSPACECOM, has already seen demonstrative progress toward greater collaboration across the entire national security space enterprise. Most recently, the command completed the first iteration of its “Campaigning with Commercial Partners” tabletop exercises.
Cmdr. Heather Thomas, the USSPACECOM commercial integration lead, spearheaded the inaugural Apollo Insight wargame in March which hosted senior leaders representing more than 60 companies for discussions on the potential impacts of weapons of mass destruction in space, and what the community can do collectively to prevent such a situation.
“These partnerships are not symbolic…they accelerate innovation, expand warfighting capacity, and increase operational tempo that government alone cannot achieve,” Whiting explained. “Behind the scenes of this massive partnering effort is Cmdr. Heather Thomas—leading this effort with vision and innovation.”
In addition to proliferated orbits and missile defense, upcoming Apollo Insight wargame iterations will cover maneuver warfare, a key focus area that Whiting has identified as essential for enhancing readiness and underpinning deterrence.
As China has demonstrated orbital refueling and logistics, he said, we must apply the principle of Maneuver of war to space as we do in all domains.
“In space, we must perform, survive, and gain positional advantage. We want innovation that gives us maneuverability, endurability, and survivability—because maneuver warfare demands rapid, focused, and unexpected actions that shatter the enemy’s cohesion. A satellite which is locked in a predictable orbit is fighting from a fixed position, and it's a target.”
Whiting highlighted USSPACECOM’s Dr. Nick Martin and Lt. Col. Marshall Tillis, who lead testing of this concept. Their teams work with the command’s service components and allies to identify solutions through wargaming, simulation and modeling, using the Capabilities, Analysis and Verification Environment lab (CAVE) to visualize maneuver warfare strategy for space shaping future wargames and driving further analysis.
The “Year of Integration” has also led the command to further drive Allied and partner integration, specifically through Multinational Force – Operation OLYMPIC DEFENDER, the command’s named operation, which represents a growing commitment among its closest allies in space, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and the U.K., to jointly strengthen defenses and deter aggression, ensuring space remains a domain that benefits all.
USSPACECOM has executed three on-orbit operations under the MNF-OOD framework with France and the U.K. since 2024.
During his remarks, Whiting announced another operation under MNF-OOD, that included all seven allied nations––Operation Selene, a Canadian-led effort. Lieutenant Colonel Joey Baker, the command’s Royal Canadian Air Force MNF-OOD strategy exchange officer, coordinated the effort with 3 Canadian Space Division.
Whiting called the operation the “most focused, combined space domain awareness operation to date.”
“Participating nations synchronized multi-domain effects across eight C2 centers, across all of our nations. Operation Selene pushed the limits of space surveillance systems while improving our ability to identify, attribute, and respond to our opponents’ behaviors on orbit. In fact, Operation Selene was so successful that I’m proud to announce we are now making it an enduring operation for MNF-OOD, further strengthening collective deterrence and defense in the space AOR.”
As this recent operation demonstrated MNF-OOD’s integration and capabilities, the Artemis II mission highlighted the U.S. leading in space exploration. Whiting recognized Master Sgt. Oviel “OV” Mariscal Acosta, First Air Force, Detachment 3, who not only ensured medical readiness for the recovery of the Artemis II astronauts but delivered life-saving equipment in support of Crew 11’s early return in January from the International Space Station.
“His impact was on full display during Artemis II, and operations like that demand flawless medical readiness—something OV ensures through preparation and contingency planning. His work keeps us ready to protect and recover astronauts as we push further into space.”
As the command continues to preserve the U.S. competitive advantage and secure freedom of action in space, it is also supporting U.S. Central Command through Operation EPIC FURY, and ensuring a seamless, mission-focused transition to its new home in Huntsville, Alabama.
Lynne Wanderscheid, is leading the headquarters transition effort as a direct link at Redstone Arsenal, and the first USSPACECOM representative on site after the President’s September 2025 decision.
“Lynne, thank you. You didn’t just identify the problem—you became the solution by embedding yourself at Redstone,” Whiting said. “Today, Lynne leads the planning, design, and construction of the Command-and-Control Facility—the future platform for our critical mission execution.”
While Whiting’s keynote highlighted key personnel across the command who continue to make an impact, he closed out his remarks by honoring the sacrifice of Staff Sgt. Benjamin Pennington, Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s 1st Space Brigade, who lost his life in Operation Epic Fury.
“He is not here today to stand among us, and yet his courage and dedication is impossible to overlook. Staff Sgt. Pennington’s sacrifice reminds us that every capability we hold in space is operated by heroes willing to give everything.”
He added, “At 250 years, America advances with confidence and U.S. Space Command secures the final frontier for the next generation. We honor those who came before us, we stand on the shoulders of heroes like Staff Sgt. Pennington, and we continue forward—ever vigilant, ever ready, and ever committed to peace through strength.”
Read the full transcript
here.