U.S. Space Force Discussion Thread

[Mars-Bound Hokie]

As the title implies, this thread is to discuss and post information about the United States Space Force. 

 

I'll start us off with a recruitment video that was posted less than a week ago

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Mars-Bound Hokie

[mikegarrison]

Interesting that the recent pictures of of the X-37B show it as still having USAF markings. I would assume that program is part of what was transferred to the USSF.

[kerbiloid]

  On 5/11/2020 at 7:40 PM, mikegarrison said:

USAF markings. I would assume that program is part of what was transferred to the USSF.

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A delayed cosplay of the Russian VVS (military air forces) →VKS (air-space forces).

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

Until I get to launch my grunts in a USMC drop ship from a USN carrier in orbit... 

 

... We don't have a 'Space Force' 

[DDE]

  On 5/12/2020 at 12:35 AM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Until I get to launch my grunts in a USMC drop ship from a USN carrier in orbit... 

 

... We don't have a 'Space Force' 

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  Quote

Much has been written about space as a future theater of war, raising such suggestions as satellite bombers, military bases on the moon, and so on. For the most part, even the more sober proposals do not hold up well on close examination or appear to be achievable at an early date. Granted that they will become technologically possible, most of these schemes, nevertheless, appear to be clumsy and ineffective ways of doing a job. Take one example, the satellite as a bomb carrier. An object released from a satellite doesn't fall. So there is no special advantage in being over the target. Indeed, the only way to "drop" a bomb directly down from a satellite is to carry out aboard the satellite a rocket launching of the magnitude required for an intercontinental missile. A better scheme is to give the weapon to be launched from the satellite a small push, after which it will spiral in gradually. But that means launching it from a moving platform halfway around the world, with every disadvantage compared to a missile base on the ground. In short, the earth would appear to be, after all, the best weapons carrier.

 

In connection with a study of space science and technology made at my request, the President's Science Advisory Committee, of which Dr. James R. Killian is Chairman, has prepared a brief "Introduction to Outer Space" for the nontechnical reader.

This is not science fiction. This is a sober, realistic presentation prepared by leading scientists. I have found this statement so informative and interesting that I wish to share it with all the people of America, and indeed with all the people of the earth.

[signed] Dwight D. Eisenhower

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[kerbiloid]

  Quote

Take one example, the satellite as a bomb carrier. An object released from a satellite doesn't fall

 

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The general knew more about physics than hundreds of pop-sci experts in local space wars.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

  On 5/12/2020 at 12:17 PM, DDE said:

 

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As if he knew anything at all about war...  Unlike our last few administrations.  (/snark}

<Everything else I wrote redacted as being too bitterly political>

 

 

 

…

 

 

 

 

 

SMH

Edited May 12, 2020 by JoeSchmuckatelli

[DDE]

  On 5/12/2020 at 2:43 PM, kerbiloid said:

The general knew more about physics than hundreds of pop-sci experts in local space wars.

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Yeah, Ike's old pamphlet aged surprisingly well. Even its implication that space exploration will be mostly robotic.

[DDE]

https://thespacereview.com/article/3942/1

  Quote

Because of this, making explicit connections between science and space exploration may be problematic at the current time. Associating space with the military is one way to downplay the scientific aspects. Military technology, for instance, is rarely seen as having a liberal bias. Another way to reduce this problematic association is to link space with religion. When we think about the early days of the American space program and the way that American religious practice was contrasted with the atheism of the Soviet Union, it is easy to see why tying religious language and imagery with the United States Space Force is the approach being taken in this recruitment video. New Space Force recruits aren’t being asked to be academic elites or rocket scientists, they’re being asked instead to fulfill a celestial destiny.

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*laughs in Russian cosmist*

[kerbiloid]

I would say, any recruits are plushy kids, being compared to Tsiolkovsky's... uhm... cosmism.

[Spacescifi]

  On 5/12/2020 at 12:17 PM, DDE said:

 

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Orbital weapons are mainly good for attacking incoming space fleets from other planets... which is a very dated idea by the way to assume aliens far more advanced than us would be vulnerable to our weapons in space at all, let alone even needing to do more than fly past and through weapon satelites without us ever knowing, laughing as they do.

[Nothalogh]

  On 5/14/2020 at 8:45 AM, Spacescifi said:

 

Orbital weapons are mainly good for attacking incoming space fleets from other planets... which is a very dated idea by the way to assume aliens far more advanced than us would be vulnerable to our weapons in space at all, let alone even needing to do more than fly past and through weapon satelites without us ever knowing, laughing as they do.

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The Virgin orbital defense array vs the Chad planetary thunder well grid

[magnemoe]

US air force once tried to organize the ICBM branch and the satellite services into one branch as both was about rockets and that did not work well. 
The ICBM personnel has to be very serious and by the book branch because they have an very serious duty. 
The satellite guys on the other hand is far more academic and loose collar, yes they control very expensive equipment but doing stuff like see if AI can detect changes flyover images to detect enemy activity is stuff they will play around with so culture is probably more different than the Air force and the marines. 

Decent chance they will deploy some sort of massed smaller low orbit recon satellites in the future. Probably have infrared capability. Current IR satellites can spot 155 mm guns and jets on afterburner and they are more in the GPS layer. 

[DDE]

  On 5/14/2020 at 6:55 PM, magnemoe said:

US air force once tried to organize the ICBM branch and the satellite services into one branch as both was about rockets and that did not work well. 

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Before the Space Troops, we did the same for a few years.

  On 5/14/2020 at 6:55 PM, magnemoe said:

Decent chance they will deploy some sort of massed smaller low orbit recon satellites in the future. Probably have infrared capability. Current IR satellites can spot 155 mm guns and jets on afterburner and they are more in the GPS layer. 

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Extremely high chance. They clearly want to expand SBIRS's capabilities to detect any sort of energetic event, although how much they can detect right now is a very interesting question.

[kerbiloid]

Twenty years later an SMS will inform you about the clothes iron which you forgot to plug out, and its IR radiation makes a power monitoring satellite worry.

[Nothalogh]

  On 5/14/2020 at 6:55 PM, magnemoe said:

massed smaller low orbit recon satellites

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What if Starlink is dual use?

[magnemoe]

  On 5/15/2020 at 5:31 PM, Nothalogh said:

What if Starlink is dual use?

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You could put an camera on them, but only an small one. Now having some hundred satellites with say an 40 CM optic in LEO who you could point in any direction would be more useful keeping track of stuff. 
 

[Nothalogh]

  On 5/15/2020 at 5:50 PM, magnemoe said:

but only an small one

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Right, but starlink is literally designed for peer to peer operation, the whole constellation could work as a synthetic sensor

[DDE]

  On 5/15/2020 at 5:31 PM, Nothalogh said:

What if Starlink is dual use?

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  On 5/15/2020 at 5:53 PM, Nothalogh said:

Right, but starlink is literally designed for peer to peer operation, the whole constellation could work as a synthetic sensor

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If it's radio-based, everyone and their dog would know about it. There are several Russian programs to counter Lacrosse.

[kerbiloid]

  On 5/15/2020 at 5:31 PM, Nothalogh said:

What if Starlink is dual use?

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It's sats will rotate and shade the opponent's territory from the Sun with their sails.

Or focus 12 000 sun puddles on a target to heat.

[RCgothic]

Just learned today that because of this whole Space Force thing, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

I have a negative reaction to this. CCAFS was historic. :-\

[kerbiloid]

Force Station...

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

[DDE]

  On 5/17/2020 at 12:59 PM, RCgothic said:

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

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*angry Army noises*

[mikegarrison]

  On 5/18/2020 at 5:24 AM, DDE said:

*angry Army noises*

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This was funny, but actually the base was originally a Navy base (Banana River). The Navy gave it to the Air Force.

On Wikipedia it says that the rededication of the base as being a USSF base was indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19. I guess that explains why the ULA stream for the X-37B launch called it an Air Force base.

[kerbiloid]

USMC → UMSC

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Ultramarine Space Corps