The newest branch
The U.S. Space Force was established on 20 December 2019 by the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act — the sixth and newest armed force and the first new branch since 1947. It sits under the Department of the Air Force (much as the Marine Corps sits under the Navy) and was built from the people and missions of Air Force Space Command.
Its members are Guardians, and its mission is to secure U.S. interests in, from, and to space — missile warning, satellite communications, GPS, and space-domain awareness. Its motto, revealed in 2020, is "Semper Supra" ("Always Above"). It is by far the smallest U.S. military branch.
U.S. Space Force
- Founded
- 20 December 2019
- Department
- Air Force (DoD)
- Motto
- "Semper Supra"
- Members
- "Guardians"
- Commission via
- USAFA, AFROTC, OTS
No academy of its own — yet
The Space Force has no dedicated academy. Its officers commission through the U.S. Air Force Academy, Air Force ROTC, and Officer Training School — the same sources as the Air Force, with which it shares the Department of the Air Force.
USAFA began commissioning graduates directly into the Space Force with the Class of 2020, and AFROTC now allocates cadets to the Space Force as well, with space-specific training before commissioning. See the AFROTC pathway →
Officer paths
- Academy
- USAFA (space track)
- ROTC
- AFROTC (Space Force)
- OTS
- Maxwell AFB
- Focus
- STEM, cyber, intel, engineering