Air Force says nearly 8,500 miss deadline for COVID-19 shots
The Air Force says nearly 8,500 active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force have missed the deadline for getting COVID-19 vaccinations, including 800 who flatly refused and nearly 5,000 with pending requests for a religious exemption.
Report: Air Force women, minorities face harassment and bias
A new study finds that about a third of the female service members in the Air Force and Space Force say they’ve experienced sexual harassment and many can describe accounts of sexism and a stigma associated with pregnancy and maternity leave.
We're giving away a commemorative US Space Force silver coin!
At the Space.com forums, we've got a special giveaway going on for the community. One lucky winner will be walking away with an authentic U.S. Space Force silver coin, courtesy of the Space Store! To enter for your chance to win, let us know what you think the priorities should be for the U.S. Space Force (USSF). While you're at it, head over to our Mars thread to share some of that Perseverance rover excitement with the community. Join the Space.com forums to chat about the latest news and share your interests, theories, and opinions with a community of like-minded space enthusiasts!
space.comWhite House offers 'full support' for Trump-era Space Force
“We are not revisiting the decision to establish the Space Force,” she said. Ad“Thousands of men and women proudly serve in the Space Force,” Psaki said. Space Force. “I am very proud of the guardians in the Space Force," Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations, said at a virtual event with defense writers. Trump was very proud of Space Force and rarely delivered a speech without mentioning it.
US Space Command site to be located in Huntsville, Alabama
The U.S. Air Force is expected to announce Huntsville, Ala. as the location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters, according to Gov. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The U.S. Air Force announced Wednesday that the new U.S. Space Command headquarters will be in Huntsville, Alabama, after the state was selected over five others competing for the project, including Colorado, where Space Command is provisionally located. The role of Space Command is to conduct operations such as enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication and providing warning of missile launches. That is different from the Space Force, which is a distinct military service like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. “I couldn’t be more pleased to learn that Alabama will be the new home to the United States Space Command,” Alabama Republican Gov.
What happens to the Space Force after the Trump administration?
Within the Defense Department, the Air Force has the lion’s share of space programs and budget for space operations. Some Air Force missions have transferred to Space Force control or are in the process of doing so — last week, Vice President Mike Pence announced that Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida would change their names and become the first two Space Force installations. AdvertisementFor fiscal year 2021, the Space Force is requesting a budget transfer from the Air Force of $15.3 billion. And over time, as space programs from other services start consolidating into the Space Force, their budgets should follow. “You’ve already transferred thousands of individuals into the Space Force,” said Doug Loverro, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for space policy and a leading advocate of the Space Force before its inception.
latimes.comSterling Heights’ US Space Command nomination chosen for further evaluation
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Sterling Heights’ U.S. Space Command nomination has been chosen for further evaluation. United States Space Command is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense. READ: Sterling Heights wants to be considered for headquarters of United States Space CommandMacomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel released the following statement:“The state of Michigan has the talent and tools necessary to house the future U.S. Space Command headquarters. I am hopeful that these assets give our region a competitive advantage during this next phase of further evaluation. We stand ready to become the epicenter of defense for land, air and space.”
Selfridge vying to be the future home of the U.S. Space Command
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – It may sound preposterous, but when you consider the federal government is looking for a U.S. Space Command headquarters, city officials with Sterling Heights said the area is looking to innovate Michigan’s defense corridor. READ: Sterling Heights wants to be considered for headquarters of United States Space CommandWe depend on satellites for a lot these days -- almost everyone uses the GPS on their cellphone. The new Space Force does the training and the Space Command does the deploying when it gets more fully developed. That’s why Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor raised his hand and filed his paperwork Tuesday. “Aside from the 1,400-1,500 jobs that I’ve heard it would employ at the headquarters, it would be huge accomplishment for the city of Sterling Heights,” Taylor said.
Sterling Heights wants to be considered for headquarters of United States Space Command
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Sterling Heights has requested to be considered for the future headquarters for the United States Space Command. The nomination request was signed by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. “When the City’s nomination is scored, we are confident that Sterling Heights will be a prime location for the headquarters for the United States Space Command,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “There is a rich heritage in this region for defense assets and this is a strong foundation for this new undertaking.”United States Space Command is a unified combatant command of the United States Department of Defense. “As our state explores the feasibility of landing the United States Space Command in our community, we stand ready to illustrate our competitive advantage and showcase the inspiring capabilities we have right here in Macomb.”READ: Trump touts logo for new Space Force, with nod to Star Trek“As part of this nomination process, we have done an extensive review of the United States Space Command competition criteria,” said Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, Adjutant General and Director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
US girds its satellite communications infrastructure in space during coronavirus pandemic
So from Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado, operators maneuvered the agile GSSAP satellite close to the inert MUOS-5 to inspect it. According to data for a report from the Secure World Foundation, a space-centric think tank, the GSSAP satellites had close encounters with eight international orbiters between 2016 and mid-2018. They're part of an increasingly intense stare at the space beyond low-Earth orbit: from geosynchronous orbit, or GEO, out to the Moon. That's useful when GSSAP satellites aren't conveniently close to the shot you'd like to take. The Space Force's 18th Space Control Squadron also tracks and catalogs far-out satellites from both the ground and space.
cnbc.comMark Farris: Believe it or not, climate is changing now
Global warming/climate change seems to be on everybody's lips these days and most scientists around the world believe human activity is directly responsible for the disruption of global weather patterns. Then again, some scientists argue this is all just a natural cycle planet Earth periodically goes through. President Donald Trump and the yes-sayers he has surrounded himself with argue this as reality. I just dont think I remember as many empty fields as we saw last year as it isnt easy plowing mud. The climate change deniers need to build less walls and start beefing up levees.
monroenews.comSpace Force or Star Trek? Trump unveils new logo nearly identical to Starfleet Command logo
President Trump's new Space Force logo is seemingly beamed up straight from the Enterprise. John Noonan, a former national security adviser and former member of the Air Force, pointed out that the Space Force logo is likely based on a long-standing Air Force Command logo. For those excitedly tweeting that Trump stole the Star Trek logo!!! Hopefully, the next time future members of the Space Force see Mr. Trump, they'll greet him with a Vulcan salute. The new series "Star Trek: Picard" on CBS All Access sees the return of Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, the character he made famous almost two decades ago in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
cbsnews.comU.S. House passes massive defense bill, which now heads to Senate
The count in the Democratic-controlled chamber was 377-48, enough to send the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, to the Senate, where a vote is expected by the end of next week. Trump has promised to sign the legislation as soon as it passes Congress. Those had been included in a version of the NDAA the House passed in October, but not in the version passed by the Republican-controlled Senate. They were removed during several months of negotiations with Senate Republicans and Trump administration officials. The fiscal 2020 NDAA increases defense spending by about $20 billion, or about 2.8%, and creates a Space Force as a new branch of the U.S. military, both Trump priorities.
feeds.reuters.com