Establishing Space Command Space Defense Center orbital analyst tracking
Kosmos 1402 in 1983 As
U.S. Air Force space programs began to mature in the 1970s and in the early 1980s, their disjointed nature presented operational problems. The impending entry into service of the
Space Shuttle in partnership with
NASA sparked major competition between Air Force commands for internal control. Air Force Systems Command's
Space and Missile Systems Organization had responsibility for military development of the shuttle, but it also sought operational responsibility as it was responsible for space launches. Aerospace Defense Command argued that its responsibility for the
space surveillance system gave it the requisite experience required for shuttle operations. Traditional
air defense had also lost its importance, and Aerospace Defense Command saw space operations as a way to preserve its existence. Strategic Air Command and
Military Airlift Command, which served as the Air Force's lead on transportation, also argued they should have responsibility. In 1980, Aerospace Defense Command was inactivated as an Air Force major command (although preserved as a specified command within
NORAD), with its air defense mission transferred to
Tactical Air Command in 1979 and its space assets moved to Strategic Air Command in 1980. In 1983, Strategic Air Command began to transfer its space and missile warning, systems, bases, and units to Space Command, establishing the
1st Space Wing on 1 January 1983. Major transfers from Strategic Air Command included
Peterson Air Force Base,
Thule Air Base,
Sondrestrom Air Base,
Clear Air Force Station, and responsibility for the creation of
Falcon Air Force Station. By 1984, Strategic Air Command ceased to be responsible for space operations, transferring the
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program and
Defense Support Program, as well as operational responsibility for the
Military Strategic and Tactical Relay and
Global Positioning System, both of which were in development. In 1985, Space Command activated the
2d Space Wing and renamed to Air Force Space Command on 15 November, to distinguish itself from
Naval Space Command and the new
United States Space Command. In 1986, Air Force Space Command established the
3rd Space Support Wing and inactivated the Aerospace Defense Center and Cheyenne Mountain Support Group. In 1989, the
73d Space Surveillance Group was activated under Air Force Space Command, centralizing its space surveillance capabilities. In 1991, Air Force Space Command underwent a major reorganization, inactivating the 9th Space Division and Space Communications Division and replacing it with the
30th Space Wing at Vandenberg AFB and
45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB for space launches. In 1992, it replaced the 1st Space Wing with the
21st Space Wing, the 2d Space Wing with the
50th Space Wing, and inactivated the 3d Space Support Group. In 1993, Air Force Space Command was assigned responsibility for intercontinental ballistic missiles. It centralized its space forces under the
Fourteenth Air Force and its missile forces under the
20th Air Force, while also activating the
Space Warfare Center. In 2009, the Air Force decided to consolidate its nuclear forces, split between Air Force Space Command's Twentieth Air Force missiles and
Air Combat Command's
Eighth Air Force bombers, under
Air Force Global Strike Command. Twentieth Air Force was transferred on 1 December 2009, however Air Force Space Command had been assigned the cyberspace mission in the same year, assuming responsibility for
Twenty-Fourth Air Force, the
Air Force Network Integration Center, and
Air Force Spectrum Management Office. In 2013, the
Space Innovation and Development Center (previously the Space Warfare Center) was inactivated and merged with the
Air Force Warfare Center. In 2018, the cyber mission and Twenty-Fourth Air Force were transferred to Air Combat Command leaving Air Force Space Command with sole responsibility for space forces. In June 2020, the Space Force announced its plan to establish Space Operations Command as the first of three field commands, with Space Operations Command (formerly Fourteenth Air Force) at Vandenberg AFB to be renamed SpOC West. In July 2020, United States Space Force's wings and operations groups were renamed deltas and it assumed responsibility for space operations units previously part of
Air Combat Command and
Air Education and Training Command, including the
544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group. The
21st Operations Group was replaced by
Space Delta 2 for
space domain awareness, the
721st Operations Group was replaced by
Space Delta 3 for
space electromagnetic warfare, the
460th Operations Group combined with elements of the 21st Operations Group to form
Space Delta 4 for
missile warning, the
614th Air Operations Center became
Space Delta 5 for
command and control, the
50th Network Operations Group became
Space Delta 6 for
cyberspace operations, the
544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group became
Space Delta 6 for
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the
50th Operations Group became
Space Delta 8 for
navigation warfare and
satellite communications, and the
750th Operations Group became
Space Delta 9 for
orbital warfare. The
21st Space Wing and
50th Space Wing was replaced by
Peterson-Schriever Garrison, which oversaw
Peterson Air Force Base,
Schriever Air Force Base,
Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station,
Pituffik Space Base,
New Boston Air Force Station, and
Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station, while the
460th Space Wing was replaced by
Buckley Garrison, which oversaw
Buckley Air Force Base,
Cape Cod Air Force Station,
Cavalier Air Force Station, and
Clear Air Force Station. The
25th Space Range Squadron,
328th Weapons Squadron,
527th Aggressor Squadron, and
533rd Training Squadron were incorporated into
Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional), pending the activation of
Space Training and Readiness Command as a full field command. On 21 October 2020, United States Space Force was redesignated as Space Operations Command, officially transferring from a U.S. Air Force major command to a U.S. Space Force field command when Lieutenant General
Stephen N. Whiting assumed command. On 22 April 2021, the Space and Missile Systems Center was realigned from Space Operations Command to the U.S. Space Force. In May 2021, the
30th Space Wing was redesignated as
Space Launch Delta 30 and the
45th Space Wing redesignated as
Space Launch Delta 45. On 13 August 2021, it transferred its launch deltas to
Space Systems Command as it activated and on 23 August 2021
Space Training and Readiness Delta (Provisional) was inactivated and its squadrons transferred to
Space Training and Readiness Command. On 3 November 2025, Space Operations Command was officially redesignated as United States Space Force Combat Forces Command to reflect its increased focus on generating combat-ready forces as the USSF continues to evolve as a warfighting service. ==Symbolism==