On 6 May 2020, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett and Chief of Space Operations GEN John Raymond gave a status check on the US Space Force during a webinar sponsored by the Space Foundation,an advocacy group of representatives from a broad range of aerospace organisations.Secretary Barrett noted that the USSF recently commissioned 86 US Air Force Academy cadets into the Space Force.For his part,GEN Raymond explained that:
We do not want to get into a conflict that begins or extends into space. We want to deter that. But the way you do that is from a position of strength. What gives us a position of strength is our partnerships. We also need to have systems that are defensible.And we have to continue to train our operatives to have the warfighting skills necessary to accomplish this mission.*
The USSF is aiming for a complement of about 16,000 personnel.It will be small, agile and trailblazing, according to GEN Raymond.The service is intent on protecting the free access to space which fuels both the American way of life and the American way of war.*
Secretary Barrett feels the launch of the X-37B space plane illustrates the necessity of having a Space Force:
The Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office has combined forces with the Air Force Research Laboratory and now the US Space Force to execute a mission that maximizes the X-37B's unique capabilities.*
The USSF now oversees the launch,on-orbiit operations and landing of the space plane.This mission demonstrates the integration of the Air Force,US Space Force and private industry partnerships, the Air Force said.While some of the mission is public,such as the NASA experiments supporting the human exploration of Mars, the military side is strictly classified.*
Most of the Space Force's work is being done by Air Force personnel assigned to the Space Force.Over the next few years, certain Air Force units and bases will transition into the USSF,such as Cape Canaveral Air Force Station becoming Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.*
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