America is truly you have a Space Force. We went inside to see what it does

Analysts of the US intelligence services have observed a pair of Russian satellite, identified as Cosmos 2542 and 2543, for months. Or rather, they have seen since they were a satellite, using a Soyuz rocket that took 26 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in November 2019, was 11 days after the start of the first satellite division into two, the according to “born” in some of the others, and no one in the US military was happy for the new arrival. In mid-January, two Russian satellites had close to a hovering spaceship multibillion as KH-11 is known, one of the most powerful spy tools of the US armed forces, part of a reconnaissance constellation named keyhole code / CRYSTAL. It is unclear whether the threatened Cosmos satellites or supervise the KH-11, the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope have said, but it proved to be just the beginning of the twins was surprised. After the concern took us through diplomatic channels earlier this year in Moscow to express the couple moved from the KH-11 and more than 17,000 m.p.h. around the earth on July 15, with analysts we rushed us still tracking, “born”, the Russian satellite Cosmos 2543, a bullet in the fired space General John “Jay” Raymond, the top general of the new US Space Force created TIME He said. It was the first time the US military public instance of a spatial anti-satellite weapons tests, a new worrying development in the emerging scene of orbital war has supposedly. Raymond and supporters of the Space Force, the first branch of the US armed forces in 72 years, satellites such as the military triplet Cosmos Moscow “nesting” marked, they are a threat not only American for a very expensive piece spying hardware but on the basic operation of modern America itself. “Russia is developing functions in orbit that use it to our dependence on space systems are looking for,” says Raymond. Whatever the Russian craft missions and Moscow says it is purely peaceful-Raymond is not wrong that Americans come to satellites so that they know hardly begin to appreciate. Although the Cosmos in 2543 his projectile was launched Satellite Air Force were performing a variety of civilian tasks at home in the United States Streetlamps went back to the Global Positioning System timed spacecraft (GPS) across the country, and GPS companies should rely -Stempel time purchases by credit card. satellite weather information to be transmitted for night forecasts. Many of the 650,000 calls to 911 head each day in the United States depend on satellites. But for all the ways that civilians and the military rely on them, America network of approximately 1,000 satellite is virtually unprotected. And just as easily defended access to deep water ports and natural resources was a source of war in the past, leaders and strategists fear that the satellite network vulnerable America an invitation to the conflict in our time. Raymond tells TIME that Russia has played a precedent, the launch of the bullet not declared in February 2017. China has begun the formation of specialized units with weapons that objects can break into orbit. Both countries have lasers and terrestrial communications equipment is provided that can jam disable satellites. In short, he began an arms race in space. This is to keep the history of US efforts forward. The mission of America vulnerable orbital protected networks falls on the US Space Command and Space Force, which since December has the same status as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Navy. The Pentagon has decades of experience in the construction and use of the work of military satellites, many of the most important, and probably has the best capacity for strategic planning of an organization on the planet. It ‘also already employs 20,000 people whose jobs are to monitor ballistic missile warning GPS space station, communications, time and systems and manage America. But less than eight months after its launch, Space Force already attempted to justify its existence. Some critics say diplomacy and a new international treaty, not military muscle increases, is the best way in a safe place. Others point out that the Pentagon is the danger of Russian and Chinese weapons systems during the Cold War famous overstated. And few institutions have a history of waste, fraud and abuse that the Pentagon does: watchdogs note that the budget of the Space Force in 2021 $15.4 billion, with a projected increase of $2.6 billion in next five years, mostly driven by classified programs. Although the costs are only a fraction of the total budget of $740 billion of Pentagon dollars, to convince Americans that a new service can be trusted to protect our satellites and not just a huge new expensive grow wings take on the military-complex industrial somewhat ‘do. It does not help that things got off to a start a little ‘fun pop culture the new command “farce Space”, sometimes called because of its biggest supporters, President Donald Trump. He did part of his step re-election, and his campaign sold Spaceforce Merch. Trump also personally signed the Official Seal Force Space and recommendations of its uniforms for Styling officials say four time in the United States. When news of the Trump superficial interest in complex military companies, high-stakes came out, it is powered endless memes and late-night comedy routines. In May, Netflix published a satirical Steve Carell series, based on the start of the service, including to provide camouflage uniforms designed on the moon. For more than nine months TIME it conducted a series of interviews with Raymond and other leaders Space Command, analysts and experts operations in Washington, DC, and Colorado, the birth of this new branch of the US military documents. The picture that emerges is mixed. Space Force includes dedicated professionals try to mitigate true threats. But it must do the work to convince Americans commits an operation critical to their safety and way of life, not just an expensive, militarized vanity project. American troops have had to take a few minutes for safety, and even do not know. At about 01:00 local time on January 8, more than a dozen Qiam-1 and Fateh-313 ballistic missiles ripped from their launch sites on three bases in western Iran. Within seconds, infrared sensors on satellites orbiting 22,000 miles of the United States head heat signatures against background surface missiles recorded and beaming back data to the 460th Group at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado. Three huge screens to operations Buckley registers rocket wet floor data in real time, row after row of intelligence analysts, in the bluish glow of computer monitors, triangulating their starting points and routes. embroidered with the clock, the word went through another group of American satellites for military communications in two Iraqi bases, Al Asad and Erbil, where hundreds were stationed by the Americans. The first rockets hit around 1:34, about 1,400 pounds to be. Test transform buildings, airplanes and neighborhoods that live in smoking ruins. Concussions of attacks injured 109 American soldiers, but most had taken refuge in underground bunkers and trenches. No one died. The Iranian attack foiled was a validation of 50 years, the US strategy of satellites in space to place tactical advantage in conflict to create. But in recent decades, competition has changed: it is more than missiles, there are more players out there, and all are to build constellations most advanced spacecraft. October 2014, a Russian satellite Luch name has “visited” 15 different communications satellites, including one French and one Italian army, according to Bob Hall, a former Lockheed Martin satellite operator now works as technical director of Analytical Graphics, Inc. ( AGI) of Exton, Pa. This incident prompted the French Defense Minister Florence Parly announced last year that France satellites “bodyguard” develop armed with laser weapons. “If our satellites are threatened, we want our opponents are hiding,” he said. The Chinese also came into play, the Shiyan-17 (SY-17) satellite, “Rendezvous” perform all have at least four other Chinese satellite in 2016 AGI use. “Do this orbital dance, where they made a satellite to fly around,” says Hall. Both China and Russia reorganized its army in 2015, emphasize the importance of space operations, issued after an assessment of the Defense Intelligence Agency last year. “They see important space to reduce modern warfare capabilities and views counterspace as half of the US and allied military effectiveness,” he said, adding that the dependence on space that we perceive the US military power by opponents as an “Achilles heel” of. The US government responded with its innovative space technologies, many of which are top secret. One that is partially released, the space X-37B drone, which resembles a miniature space shuttle. The X-37B in the middle of his sixth mission test is to “maintain the skills necessary superiority in space”, says the military. The most recent mission was accomplished a flight 780 days, which ended in October. The threats to space systems on Earth also come. On April 15, Russia tested an anti-satellite weapon, and in December the Russian army established a new laser head designed to blind spy satellites. GPS users in northern Scandinavia from 2017 reported signal interference when Russian military exercises are carried out in the region; the Norwegian government says that the Russians jam signals. China is developing jammers targeting satellite communications on a range of frequency bands, including the extremely high frequency protected military communications. And China has demonstrated its anti-satellite missile capabilities in 2007, when he blew up one of his old apart from weather satellites, a cloud of more than 3,000 pieces of space debris, a turning point to create the race and weapons began unfolding the room today. Behind two barbed wire fences files inside wire mesh tip Schriever Air Force Base, east of Colorado Springs, sitting Building 400, one of the services limited to Space Command. , Work Space Operations Squadrons in a temperature controlled environment behind time as doors, to ensure that 190 satellites defense, which they call the birds to work smoothly on each floor. These days, if something goes wrong, hire more managers of it, they have to do with a technical fault. “There may be a problem, because it creates an opponent for her,” says the lieutenant. Colonel Michael Schriever, director of GPS operations, whose grandfather served his name in the base. “Space is not a favorable environment.” This new mentality, which is called the orbital war, is a major driver behind the creation of the Space Force. Until recently, the space was seen as a quiet domain like GPS satellites were thought to be far away and too expensive destination. Not anymore. The Navy was restarted for its responsible for celestial navigation training after the last degree of confidence in the GPS, they left space attack vulnerable resources. The army has awarded contracts for miniaturized inertial navigation systems, soldiers’ boots can be tied to keep track of when the satellites fall. “Our space systems are vulnerable,” says Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Safety Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “That’s why it’s time for a uniformed service apart.” Another reason for creating the national Space Force satellites are currently controlled by multiple services and agencies that are known for excessive secrecy and lack of information exchange in the world can bring intelligence as hypercompartmentalization. During the Obama administration, there is a briefing on the US space capabilities together to then Vice President Joe Biden once officials have taken four months since the data were scattered among many classifications top secret and few officials had access to all their recalls Robert Cardillo, former director of the National Geospatial-intelligence Agency of the United States. But reorganization presents its own challenges. In bassline offices on the ground floor of the Pentagon behind, key-card access door from the corridor unmarked 8, in which military planners mapped the future of the new branch of the military. a contact and look to the right, where are stapled to the wall plans for the organization. At the top of the military hierarchy is General Raymond, currently one of only 88 official members Space Force. Below him is Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman, the first senior enlisted advisor, and files and rectangles represent files mostly empty cascade commander, deputy and other positions. Part of the Space Force standing work surface, such as what its members call. If you are in the army, you are a soldier. The Navy? Sailor Man. Marine Corps? Marine. Air Force? Aviator. But the Space Force? … You’re an astronaut? (The Pentagon sent surveys of service members for their contribution.) But other aspects are more complicated. The backbone of what the Space Force is about 16,000 uniformed personnel and civilian Air Force. On July 16, the new service announced that it has chosen 2,410 drivers from more than 8,500 active duty volunteers first to start all transfer in September contracts, wages and benefits to be transferred to the newly bureaucracy creation of space. If this sounds potentially expensive for you, you are not alone. In a rare act of fiscal prudence, Hill Spaceforce them with new limited military positions must instead be transferred to other departments. However, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that one-time expenses in the next five years at a cost of about $3 billion would provide the strength to pay the other $1 billion at least so for new management and administrative positions. guard dogs of the government have little doubt that a whole new bureaucracy will lead to an increase in federal military means. “The cost of adjusting the Space Force is likely a small down payment on a company, could cost tens of billions of dollars for years to come,” says William Hartung Center for International Policy. The prospect of Space Force has stimulated the enthusiasm of the airline industry, which is based on big-ticket orders in the defense sector and high-tech research institutes and think tanks, to give that rely on government funding skills. This in turn creates opportunities for traditional forms of Pentagon waste, fraud and abuse. The manager of the US government (GAO), the congressional watchdog, the creation of Space Force warned against the risks to the complicated fragmentation and ineffective management and supervision worse when it comes to purchase of new satellite systems . This is a big concern for space projects are routine billion over budget and years behind schedule, the GAO said. Deborah Lee James, Secretary of the Air Force under President Obama, ended when he was at the Pentagon that Spaceforce little sense. “Inherent in all threshing bureaucratic reorganization,” he says. “For me, this is just an additional thing that take time and attention and the money is going.” To convince Americans otherwise proves difficult. It ‘was an unusually mild day in Washington, D. C, arrived on January 15, when Gen. Raymond at the White House for a meeting with President Trump. The visit, which at the time of four US officials described was more than just a business for Trump. In the last two years, Space Force has linked his political prospects. Quote from Space Force is an applause line routine at political rallies. Buy Fans Space Force hats, T-shirts and stickers on its official web site of the campaign in 2020, is on par with “the construction of the wall” and “make America great again” set as a rallying cry for its push reelection. Trump, projects construction businessman billion tilted tissue samples for his leadership of the Pentagon regularly made clear that for the anthem duty and the name of the personal hand-set decisions on everything from uniforms and logos wants. So, after it was introduced in the Oval Office, in a semicircle in front of the Resolute Desk, Raymond and other military leaders, including Minister Mark Esper Defense presented Trump with the first session, which will be a long list of Space Force decisions: Which It will be the official seal? Four options of threads products with advertising agencies and Air Force brass several months, were printed on foam core posters and placed in front of the president. Trump has studied every first that turned on a settling time of an orbiting spacecraft white a silver triangle with a blue Exceeds globe. To make it official, Trump took a black Sharpie marker, pulled one pointed at the seal arrow and scratched his signature on it. Before the brass left, the president offered a suggestion: perhaps first lady and former model Melania Trump should help design the uniforms Space Force for their impeccable sense of fashion. The incident served as a comic tension in the heart of an episode of the same name and fictitious Netflix series after. Nine days after that meeting, without warning the Pentagon, Trump Twitter has taken its decision on the new seal of writing, which mistakenly called a “Logo”. And immediately he attracted ridicule. Thousands of users around the seal of the marked resemblance to Star Trek emblem for the fictional Fleet Space Agency noticed. The Paramount Pictures executives later requested a conference call with the Pentagon, their brands to ensure no one was hurt, show US officials now. The US military has fired a statement ready by press criticism, presumably to honor the main elements of the estate back to 1940 and serve the Air Force “proud history and long-standing record the place better ability to provide world.” The dustup underscores that the biggest challenge roll-out by the Pentagon in the early stages can be dealt with the new service. Space Force is increasingly seen as a joke by many Americans Raymond insists that all the news is good news and the ridicule that raise the profile of the mission. “We have an intrigue pop culture that we need to capitalize,” he says. Secretly tell the military, it is also considered an appearance in the Netflix series. “We have a little ‘training has to do for the average American, just as instructed, their lives on space capabilities”, says Raymond. Behind the humor seriously concerns specimens on the war: the mixture of satellites endangered and Russian and Chinese competition has pigeons also concerned about where the journey continues. Trump to create the administration, and most of the Democrats who voted in December to finance Spaceforce that accepts the 21st century threat of war due to space limitations, the United Nations should be discouraged by the American military capabilities to expand, Russia and China say they are the United States, the militarized space. Both have scourged about the origin of the Space Force as a violation of international consensus on the peaceful use of outer space, which they say undermines the global strategic balance and stability. On the same day the Russian Space Agency July 15 weapons testing launched, Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space program, a speech to colleagues in Brazil, India, China and South Africa via video conference in which he freely called “space weapons to hold any type, it will fit for a long-term and sustainable use, as it is today. “regardless of the seemingly contradictory Russian positions, some critics and US arms control analysts say that the creation of Space force makes conflict more likely. A new arms race has orbital space transformed into a “war fighting domain” like air, land and sea, and billions of dollars of new-fangled technology hopper, which increases the possibility of war, both there and down here. A branch of the armed forces for Space afraid these critics, threatens to militarize US space policy and promote weapons in space. On 17 June, the Pentagon unveiled a space defense strategy that the United States clearly be done to meet Russian and Chinese space weapons, coordinating with allies and prepare for war in space. Who has one less fight alternatives link to cold that reduces looking for war contracts, the possibility of conflict with the USSR. Despite advances in space weapons, there are no binding rules for military action in space. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits countries from “nuclear weapons or other types of weapon of mass destruction” used in space. But this language is broad, analysts say the control of armaments, and the fast pace of technology could not predict now under development. “In the absence of international agreements for satellite protection and outer-space environment, more countries are developing weapons that can destroy satellites in orbit,” says Laura Grego of the Union of Concerned Scientists. A contract for the space brings its own challenges. There is in the military over the United States and the allies diplomatic discussions to bring the partners together and the space remains safe warranty, but the White House says it is not interested in forging new agreements on space weapons. A US State Department official said that the one-time “space weapon” is difficult to define and verify that it is not a weapon even more difficult problem. “It’s not like you can go there and test a satellite-like a satellite will look like,” said the official. “For all these reasons we do not support the arms control” in the room. Supporters of the treaty say that the most difficult problem is achieved over time. The UN recognizes 90 nations space technology. In March 2019 India tested its anti-satellite system auszuzulöschen their spaceship. And ‘proudly it announced that it has joined the “elite club of space powers.” Other nations such as Iran, North Korea and Pakistan have demonstrated the ability to space weapons, or the desire to expand them. In one way or another, hawks and doves agree that something must be done to move the new arms race in space from its current trajectory. It is a historical truth, after all, people everywhere had the courage pursued violence. -With reporting by Julia Zorthian