NEWSROOM

April 23, 2020

Space Surveillance Telescope sees 'first light,' through US, Australian partnership

Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. — In partnership with the Australian Ministry of Defense, the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center’s Space Surveillance Telescope Program recently achieved “first light” on March 5, 2020, reaching a key milestone after it was moved from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, to Harold E. Holt Naval Communications Station in Western Australia.

April 15, 2020

Russia tests direct-ascent anti-satellite missile

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — U.S. Space Command is aware and tracking Russia’s direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile test April 15. “Russia’s DA-ASAT test provides yet another example that the threats to U.S. and allied space systems are real, serious and growing,” said General John W. “Jay” Raymond, USSPACECOM commander and U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations. “The United States is ready and committed to deterring aggression and defending the Nation, our allies, and U.S. interests from hostile acts in space.” Russia’s missile system is capable of destroying satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and comes on the heels of Russia’s on-orbit testing the U.S. highlighted in February, namely COSMOS 2542 and COSMOS 2543. These satellites, which behaved similar to previous Russian satellites that exhibited characteristics of a space weapon, conducted maneuvers near a U.S. Government satellite that would be interpreted as irresponsible and potentially threatening in any other domain.

April 15, 2020

Undergraduate Space Training evolves to tackle space threats

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — The training of new military space operators is evolving to meet the challenges in the space domain.  A revamped initial skills training course now gives new space warfighters an early advantage in being ready to meet the unique demands of operating satellites and other space systems in a contested, degraded and operationally limited space domain.

April 10, 2020

Space Force aids USNS Mercy, USNS Comfort’s COVID-19 relief efforts

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — The 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, operates both the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite communications system and the Wideband Global SATCOM satellite communications system, both of which play a vital role in the nation’s COVID-19 relief efforts. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Airman Amanda Lovelace)

March 30, 2020

Space Soldiers support critical COVID-19 response by USNS Mercy

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Soldiers and civilians from the Regional Satellite Communications Support Center-Pacific, or RSSC-PAC, an element of the U.S. Army Satellite Operations Brigade, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, responded this week to an urgent request from the Mercy and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command for additional bandwidth to enable telemedicine and other online capabilities aboard the ship.