Joint Functional Component Command for Space
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United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and greater above mean sea level. U.S. Space Command is responsible for the operational employment of space forces that are provided by the uniformed services of the Department of Defense. Space Command was originally created in September 1985 to provide joint command and control for all military forces in outer space and coordinate with the other combatant commands. SPACECOM was disestablished in 2002, and its responsibilities and forces were merged into United States Strategic Command. A second incarnation of Space Command was established on 29 August 2019, with a reemphasized focus on space as a warfighting domain.


Mission

Space Command's mission is: ''"To conduct operations in, from, and through space to deter conflict, and if necessary, defeat aggression, deliver space combat power for the Joint/Combined force, and defend U.S. vital interests with allies and partners."''


Organization

United States Space Command has two subordinate components. The Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) is responsible for planning and conducting global space operations, while also providing space effects to the other combatant commands and U.S. allied partners. Joint Task Force–Space Defense (JTF-SD) is responsible for conducting space superiority operations. On 16 November 2022 Combined Force Space Component Command and Joint Task Force–Space Defense will now report to the Combined Joint Task Force–Space Operations (CJTF-SO), a three-star subcommand of Space Command (the combatant command).Theresa Hitchen
(16 November 2022) SPACECOM reorganization streamlines command structure
JTF-SD continues to coordinate with the Intelligence Community through the National Space Defense Center. CFSCC continues to support the GPS operations and communications. CJTF-SO coordinates Space Command's Unified Command Plan. Combined Joint Task Force–Space Operations (CJTF–SO), Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado * Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC), Vandenberg Space Force Base, California **
Combined Space Operations Center The Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) is a U.S.–led multinational space operations center that provides command and control of space forces for United States Space Command's Combined Force Space Component Command. The CSpOC is located at ...
(CSpOC), Vandenberg Space Force Base, California ** Missile Warning Center (MWC), Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, Colorado ** Joint Overhead Persistent Infrared Center (JOPC), Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado **
Joint Navigation Warfare Center The Joint Navigation Warfare Center (JNWC) is a subordinate center of United States Space Command's Combined Force Space Component Command. It is responsible for planning and coordinating navigation warfare operations. The JNWC is located at Kirt ...
(JNWC),
Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy ...
, New Mexico *
Joint Task Force–Space Defense The Joint Task Force–Space Defense (JTF–SD) is a joint task force and subordinate command of United States Space Command. It is responsible for executing control of space defense and space domain awareness units to protect and defend U.S. space ...
(JTF–SD), Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado ** National Space Defense Center (NSDC), Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado


Service components

As a unified combatant command, Space Command has a number of service components that provide forces to it. *
Space and Missile Defense Command The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) of the United States Army. The command was established in 1997. The current USASMDC commander is Lieutenant General Daniel L. Karble ...
(
land component The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. ...
) * Marine Corps Forces Space Command ( United States Marine Corps component) * Navy Space Command ( maritime component) *
First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Co ...
( air component) * Space Operations Command ( space component) * Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber Air Force ( cyber component)


Relationship with the United States Space Force

United States Space Command is the unified combatant command for all military space operations, while the United States Space Force is the military service responsible for organizing, training, and equipping the majority of forces for U.S. Space Command. Space Command's Space Force service component is Space Operations Command, providing the majority of space forces. U.S. Space Command also consists of smaller amounts of forces from the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and United States Air Force. This mirrors the relationship between the Space Force's predecessor, Air Force Space Command, and U.S. Space Command (and between 2002 and 2019, United States Strategic Command).


History


First establishment: 1985–2002

United States Space Command was established as a functional combatant command in 1985 to provide joint command and control of the Air Force, Army, and Navy's space forces, as well as prepare for the implementation of the
Strategic Defense Initiative The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), derisively nicknamed the "''Star Wars'' program", was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons (intercontinental ballistic ...
. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the armed forces' focus on homeland defense and counter-terrorism was significantly increased, which resulted in space being deemphasized. It was in this context that the unified command plan was reevaluated, resulting in
U.S. Northern Command United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for non-military authorities in the U.S., and protect ...
being established for the defense of the North American continent, while U.S. Space Command was merged with
U.S. Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deterre ...
, where its responsibilities were absorbed into the
Joint Functional Component Command for Space and Global Strike {{Use dmy dates, date=August 2020 Joint Functional Component Command for Space and Global Strike (JFCC SGS) was a component of the United States Strategic Command. It was headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The Commander, JFCC SGS wa ...
. In 2006, this would be replaced by the Joint Functional Component Command for Space, and in 2017, be reorganized as the
Joint Force Space Component Commander United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and grea ...
. The Army components for the first formation of Space Command were the Army Space Agency (1986–1988);
Army Space Command The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) of the United States Army. The command was established in 1997. The current USASMDC commander is Lieutenant General Daniel L. Karbler ...
(1988–1992); and Army Space and Strategic Defense Command (1992–1997), which eventually became today's Army Space and Missile Defense Command. Up until 2002 Naval Space Command was the naval component, and Air Force Space Command the USAF component.


Second establishment: 2019–present

The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law in 2018, directed the re-establishment of U.S. Space Command as a sub-unified combatant command under
U.S. Strategic Command United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is responsible for strategic nuclear deterre ...
; however, in December 2018, the Trump administration directed that U.S. Space Command instead be a newly established, full unified combatant command, with full responsibilities for space warfighting, which at the time, was under the authority of U.S. Strategic Command. On March 26, 2019, U.S. Air Force General John Raymond was nominated to be the commander of the second establishment of USSPACECOM, pending
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
approval. In 2019 the Department of the Air Force released the list of finalists for the Headquarters of Space Command:
Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station (CMSFS) is located in Cheyenne Mountain on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, next to Colorado Springs, The Cheyenne Mountain Complex, an underground facility ...
,
Schriever Air Force Base Schriever Space Force Base, previously Schriever Air Force Base, Falcon Air Force Base, and Falcon Air Force Station, is a base of the United States Space Force located approximately east of Peterson Space Force Base near Colorado Springs in ...
, Peterson Air Force Base,
Buckley Air Force Base Buckley Space Force Base is a United States Space Force base in Aurora, Colorado named after United States Army Air Service First Lieutenant John Harold Buckley. The base is run by Space Base Delta 2, with major units including the U.S. Space For ...
, Vandenberg Air Force Base, and
Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison f ...
. U.S. Space Command was officially reestablished on August 29, 2019, during a ceremony at the White House. The former
Joint Force Space Component Commander United States Space Command (USSPACECOM or SPACECOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense, responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations 100 kilometers (62 miles) and grea ...
was dissolved and folded into Space Command. Following the creation of the United States Space Force in December 2019, the Department of the Air Force widened its search for a location of Space Command's permanent headquarters. USSPACECOM has two subordinate commands: Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC), and Joint Task Force Space Defense (JTF-SD). CFSCC plans, integrates, conducts, and assesses global space operations in order to deliver combat relevant space capabilities to Combatant Commanders, Coalition partners, the Joint Force, and the Nation. JTF-SD conducts, in unified action with mission partners, space superiority operations to deter aggression, defend U.S. and allied interests, and defeat adversaries throughout the continuum of conflict. In August 2020, In the meeting of the National Space Council, acting Director of National Intelligence announced ''in case of an attack on the U.S. satellites the operational control of intelligence community assets will be in the ambit of the military'', resulting in the National Reconnaissance Office being operationally subordinated to the commander of U.S. Space Command in matters of space defense. In January 2021, it was announced that
Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal (RSA) is a United States Army post and a census-designated place (CDP) adjacent to Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama, United States and is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The Arsenal is a garrison f ...
in Huntsville, Alabama was the preferred final location for U.S. Space Command. The other locations in contention were
Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy ...
,
Offutt Air Force Base Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force base south of Omaha, adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), the 557th Weather Wing, and the 55th Wing (55 WG) of the Air ...
, Joint Base San Antonio, its interim location at Peterson Air Force Base, and Patrick Space Force Base. Despite Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, being both the original and interim location of Space Command headquarters, Redstone Arsenal was selected, reportedly due to political pressure directly from then-president Donald Trump. A formal review from the DoD IG was initiated to ensure the process that selected Huntsville as the preferred location was impartial and factually sound. Current Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin came out with his public support and backed the Department of the Air Force's decision process which resulted in the selection of Redstone Arsenal. In May 2022, the review found that the selection of Redstone Arsenal as the permanent site was reasonable and justified. On 24 August 2021, two years after its establishment, U.S. Space Command announced that it had reached initial operating capability. Achieving
full operating capability In military acquisition, full operating capability or full operational capability (FOC) is the completion of a development effort. This is usually preceded by an initial operating capability or initial operational capability (IOC) phase. For the Un ...
, according to Lieutenant General
John E. Shaw John Edwin Shaw (born March 17, 1968) is a United States Space Force Lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general who has served as the deputy commander of the United States Space Command since November 2020. He previously served as c ...
, deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, is dependent on the selection of the combatant command's permanent headquarters. U.S. Space Command is planning to reorganize its subordinate commands, possibly reactivating the
Joint Force Space Component Command The Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) is a U.S.-led multinational subordinate command of United States Space Command. It is responsible for tactical control of American and multinational space forces. The CFSCC's mission is to "plan, ...
(JFSCC), the precursor organization of the combatant command. JFSSC is planned to be the combatant command's "primary warfighting command," formed by combining CFSCC and JTF–SD. Space Force Lieutenant General Stephen Whiting, commander of SpOC, is planned to lead the new organization. One of the stated objectives of the US Space Command is to ensure, through
Space domain awareness Space domain awareness is the study and monitoring of satellites orbiting the earth. It involves the detection, tracking, cataloging and identification of artificial objects, i.e. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentatio ...
(SDA), the survivability of US satellites orbiting in space and to provide lethal force, if necessary, to counter the malign space capabilities of an adversary.Commander of the US Space Command, James H. Dickinson, , General Dickinson testifies to the House Armed Services Committee / Feb 2022, minutes 15:46–18:04.


Commanders

Note: The numeric order of the commanders were reset due to the second establishment being considered a different command than the first.


See also

*
French Space Command The French Space Command (french: Commandement de l'Espace, CdE) is a formation of the French Air and Space Force, which deals with space issues. It supersedes the Joint Space Command, which was created in 2010. Mission A formation of the Min ...
*
United Kingdom Space Command United Kingdom Space Command (UKSC) is a joint command of the British Armed Forces organised under the Royal Air Force, and staffed by personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and the British Civil Service. The UKSC has three ...


References


Citations


Sources

* {{Authority control
Space Command A space command is a military organization with responsibility for space operations and warfare. A space command is typically a joint organization or organized within a larger military branch and is distinct from a fully independent space force. ...
Military units and formations disestablished in 2002 Military units and formations established in 1985 Military units and formations established in 2019 Military units and formations in Colorado Organizations based in Colorado Springs, Colorado Space units and formations of the United States 1985 establishments in the United States Space units and formations