A story that has been easy to miss during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the first steps of the fledgling US Space Force. The new branch of the armed forces was created by Donald Trump as a way to extend the military’s reach beyond Earth. On Sunday, the Space Force launched its first unmanned space craft.
The launch, which came from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, was the first deposit of an unmanned space craft by the Space Force. The core of the launch was the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. As its payload, the rocket included the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. The space plane used in the launch has been on five previous missions.
Some pundits mocked the Space Force when it was first announced by Trump. Critics noted that NASA already exists, and essentially functions in the same way as the proposed military branch. NASA, as a branch of the federal government, has functioned as the US’s space program since 1958.
Similarly, the Air Force Space Command was formed in 1982. The Air Force previously was responsible for the conduct and oversight of the US’s space warfare. In 2020, the Air Force Space Command was reorganized as the Space Force, the sixth and youngest military service branch.
The formal date of the creation of the United States Space Force is December 20, 2019. It taps into the Air Force officer training programs to recruit its officers, and will likely source its enlisted personnel in a similar fashion. Currently, officers with expertise in cloud computing storage solutions, advanced orbital mathematics and rocket science are in high demand by the program.
As the military space program of the US, much of what the Space Force engages in is highly classified. The exact nature of their recently-launched orbital test vehicle, as such, is unclear at this time. The purpose of the mission and what the vehicle is carrying is not public knowledge.
The Space Force acknowledged the current pandemic during the launch. They noted that they sent a note along with the test vehicle. They fastened the dedication to the Atlas V rocket. It reads:
“In memory of COVID-19 victims and tribute to all first responders and frontline workers. America Strong.” The launch marks the first time the Space Force has sent an unmanned craft into orbit around the Earth.
