US Space Force Moves Ahead with Orbital Services Program

The US Space Force has awarded its first task order under the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4). The 35 million dollar award went to a Virgin Orbit subsidiary,VOX Space,LLC of El Segundo, California for launch services for Space Test Program-28.STP-28 will deliver numerous technology experiments to orbit in fields such as Space Domain Awareness and communications advancement,in order to develop USSF'S space systems architecture.*
VOX will provide 3 launches of its LauncherOne rocket to deliver 44 small satellites to Low Earth Orbit for the USSF, with a target date of October 2021 for the first launch.LauncherOne is to be air-dropped from the Cosmic Girl aircraft,a modified Boeing 747.*
One of the STP-28 payloads is QUEYSSAT,a cooperative project by the US Air Force Research Laboratory and Canadian Department of National Defence.It is to demonstrate and quantify the potential to improve Earth-satellite quantum channel uplinks via adaptive optics, expand quantum network concepts and exploit this capability for defence applications,USSF said.*
The OSP-4 initiative allows the rapid acquisition of launch services to meet mission requirements enabling launch within 12-24 months of the Task Order award.Said COL Ryan Rose,Chief of the Small Launch and Targets Division at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico:
With our small launch contracts we are able to take more risks and move quickly to produce high rewards and tactically responsive launch capabilities for combatant commanders.*
STP-29 will be awarded by late 2020.*
Later this month,88 graduates of the US Air Force Academy will be directly commissioned into the USSF.In addition,16,000 USAF personnel are currently assigned to USSF and, over time, many of them will have the chance to transfer to the USSF.Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett has formally set a goal of transferring 23 USAF space-related missions to the USSF within 3-6 months.*
The USSF'S Chief of Space Operations,GEN John Raymond, noted that:
If deterrence were to fail,we are going to have to fight for space superiority in the future.And to do that will require the full weight of the joint force and so that will require Army, Navy,Air Force, Marines and the Space Force to gain that superiority.*