The U.S. Space Force marked its sixth anniversary in December, a milestone that underscores how far the nation’s newest military service has moved beyond its stand-up phase and into sustained operations, while still facing pressure to prove its long-term value in an increasingly contested space domain.
Established on Dec. 20, 2019, the Space Force was created to organize, train and equip forces to protect U.S. and allied interests in space, a domain the Pentagon now treats as central to modern warfare. Six years in, the service is smaller than its sister branches but increasingly embedded in daily military operations.
From Stand-Up to Operational Force
Early expectations for the Space Force were modest and urgent at the same time. The service was tasked with consolidating space missions previously spread across the Air Force and other commands, building a professional cadre of space operators and preparing for competition with China and Russia.
Since then, the Space Force has stood up dedicated field commands responsible for operations, training and acquisition. Guardians now support missile warning, satellite communications, GPS, space domain awareness and launch operations that underpin nearly every U.S. military mission.
By the end of 2025, the service was routinely conducting national security launches, supporting combatant commands worldwide and running large-scale exercises designed to simulate operations in contested space environments.
Measuring Success at Six Years
Whether the Space Force has “met expectations” depends largely on how success is defined.
From an organizational standpoint, defense officials point to the successful transfer of missions, creation of specialized career fields and establishment of service-specific training pipelines. Space missions that once competed for attention inside the Air Force now have a dedicated service focused solely on space operations.
Operationally, the Space Force has become a constant presence in joint planning. Space capabilities are no longer treated as background enablers but as operational effects that must be protected and, if necessary, defended during conflict.
Critics, however, note that the service is still refining how it measures readiness and effectiveness in a domain where traditional metrics do not always apply. Others point to ongoing challenges with personnel growth, acquisition speed and the integration of reserve components.
Leadership Emphasizes Warfighting Role
Space Force leaders have used the six-year mark to reinforce a central message: Guardians are warfighters, not support staff.
Gen. Chance Saltzman, the service’s top uniformed officer, has repeatedly emphasized that space forces are expected to operate in contested environments and contribute directly to deterrence and warfighting.
In public remarks throughout 2024 and 2025, Saltzman framed the Space Force’s mission around protecting the joint force’s ability to see, communicate and strike, while denying adversaries the same advantages.
That framing reflects a broader Pentagon shift toward treating space as a domain that must be defended under pressure, not simply accessed during peacetime.
Acquisition and Modernization Push
One of the clearest signals of where the Space Force is headed is its push to reform how it buys and fields technology.
Service leaders have acknowledged that traditional defense acquisition timelines are poorly suited to space, where commercial innovation moves quickly, and threats evolve fast. In response, the Space Force has been working to shorten development cycles, field incremental capabilities and lean more heavily on commercial partnerships.
Those efforts are now feeding into a long-term force design roadmap intended to guide investments and structure through the 2030s. The plan is aimed at building a more resilient and survivable space architecture, rather than relying on a small number of high-value satellites.
Integration With the Joint Force
The Space Force’s sixth year also coincided with deeper integration across the Defense Department.
Space operators are increasingly embedded with combatant commands, and the relocation of U.S. Space Command headquarters to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama in late 2025 highlighted the growing institutional maturity of U.S. military space operations.
While the Space Force remains the smallest service by personnel, its influence on joint planning continues to grow as commanders rely on space capabilities for everything from missile defense to precision navigation.
What Comes Next
As it enters its seventh year, the Space Force faces a different challenge than it did at birth. The question is no longer whether the service should exist, but how quickly it can adapt to a competitive and congested space environment.
The next phase will test whether reforms in acquisition, training and force design can translate into sustained space advantage. For now, six years in, the Space Force has moved from concept to operational reality and the pressure is on to show it can stay ahead.
Sources
U.S. Space Force
Department of Defense
Air & Space Forces Magazine
Defense News
Federal News Network
