For the first time in the agency’s history, one military branch is in control of all of the Defense Department’s military satellite communication functions. The Army transferred control of their satellite communications mission to the Space Force during a ceremony on Aug. 15.
With the new role, the Space Force got additional help to oversee the satellite communications. The ceremony transferred around 200 civilians and 300 military personnel from serving in the Army to the Space Force.
The satellite communications constellations provide information to everyone from the president to interagency and international partners conducting global operations.
“We are proud to continue the Army’s legacy as we assume this mission, and we are committed to never forgetting the users of this remarkable SATCOM enterprise — namely, the entire Joint Force, including Army Soldiers,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Operations Command, said in a release.
The 53rd Space Operations Squadron is now the only DoD organization that will conduct payload and transmission controls for the Defense satellite communications system and wideband global SATCOM satellite constellations.
In June, the Navy transferred more than a dozen satellites and additional personnel to the Space Force. In total, the transition realigned 15 Army and Navy units to the Space Force to continue working on the satellite communications.
The Defense Department wasn’t the only agency shifting control of its satellites this month. On Aug. 11, the U.S. Geological Survey, a part of the Interior Department, assumed operational control of the Landsat 9 satellite from NASA.
The Landsat 9 is the latest remote-sensing satellite to provide global coverage of the changes to Earth’s landscape since 1972.
“For more than 50 years now, Landsat satellites have helped us learn more about how Earth systems work, how human activities affect those systems, and how we can make better decisions for the future,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at the ceremony.
Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science at USGS, said the 50 year archive provides scientists with a constant baseline to track climate change and see changes to the land that may otherwise go unnoticed.
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FAQs
These bases provide services, facilities and range safety control to conduct DOD, NASA and commercial space launches. Through the command and control of all DOD satellites, satellite operators provide force-multiplying effects - continuous global coverage, low vulnerability and autonomous operations.
Who controls communication satellites? ›
The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
Who has control over the satellites? ›
Satellite Operations Centers (SOCs) are located at Schriever Space Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and various other locations throughout the continental United States. These SOCs are staffed around the clock and are responsible for the command and control of their assigned satellite systems.
What is the U.S. Space Force responsible for? ›
The Space Force organizes, trains and equips personnel in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint forces.
How are satellites in space controlled? ›
The satellites' “attitude,” or orientation and orbit control are controlled by a system consisting of sensors, actuators and software. The Attitude and Orbit Control System provides three-axis stabilized Earth-pointing attitude control during all mission modes and measures spacecraft rates and orbital position.
How does the U.S. military rely on satellites in space? ›
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a constellation of orbiting satellites that provides position, navigation, and timing data to military and civilian users globally. The system is operated and controlled by Delta 8, located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.
Who monitors space satellites? ›
The USSPACECOM is primarily interested in the active satellites, but also tracks space debris. As the number of space debris and the value of satellites in space grew it has become important to protect civil economic activity and help satellite operators avoid collisions with debris.
How many satellites does the US control? ›
As of June 2022, USA designations have been assigned to 331 space satellites.
Where is satellite communication illegal? ›
Satellite phones and devices are also illegal or strictly regulated in China, Cuba, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Chad, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Pakistan. Here's a rundown by satellite communications providers on why certain countries ban or restrict satellite phone use.
Who controls Space Force? ›
While the Space Force is a separate and distinct branch of the armed services, it is organized under the Department of the Air Force in a manner very similar to how the Marine Corps is organized under the Department of the Navy.
The U.S. Space Force is the Military's sixth Service branch, with advanced operations on land, in air and in orbit.
Who created Space Force? ›
In 2019, the House and Senate resolved their differences to pass the United States Space Force Act. It was signed into law by President Donald Trump, establishing the U.S. Space Force as the first new independent military service since the Army Air Forces were reorganized as the U.S. Air Force in 1947.
Does the United States need a Space Force? ›
The establishment of the USSF resulted from widespread recognition that Space was a national security imperative. When combined with the growing threat posed by near-peer competitors in space,it became clear there was a need for a military service focused solely on pursuing superiority in the space domain.
Does China have a Space Force? ›
On April 19, 2024, the Strategic Support Force was dissolved and split into three independent branches: the People's Liberation Army Aerospace Force, the People's Liberation Army Cyberspace Force and the People's Liberation Army Information Support Force.
Does Space Force have anything to do with NASA? ›
Although NASA is certainly the lead agency in these efforts, its Planetary Defense Coordination Office works with a variety of partners, including the Space Force and FEMA. The Space Force contributes by sharing surveillance data with NASA to find and track potential asteroid threats.
Which force keeps the satellite? ›
Gravity is a force of attraction between masses. It provides the centripetal force needed to keep a satellite in orbit around a planet, or a planet in orbit around a star such as the Sun.
What force keeps satellites in space? ›
Gravity is the power that the Earth pulls satellites. Centrifugal force is the power that satellites tend to move away from the Earth by orbiting around it. Satellites are released from the rockets at the proper speed in a balance of gravity and centrifugal force, so they can keep orbiting around the Earth.
Which force keeps a satellite in orbit? ›
A satellite maintains its orbit by balancing two factors: its velocity (the speed it takes to travel in a straight line) and the gravitational pull that Earth has on it.
