Tag: Space Force

Sunday Space (Redux)

I had a post ready for my traditional Sunday Space News and then I had a brain fart and hit the publish button instead of draft….so in case you missed it….https://lobotero.com/2020/12/10/sundays-space/

But that is not all there is…..in case you missed (and most did)…..the Trump Boyz released their space policy plan….and as I have been saying the whole time….it reads more like a recipe for the invasion and occupation and exploitation of space for the corporate heads.

The Trump administration released a new national space policy Dec. 9 that articulates U.S. goals in civil space exploration, commercial growth and national security. The document recognizes the U.S. Space Force as the primary organization responsible for defending the nation’s interests in space.

The previous version of the national space policy was issued by the Obama administration in 2010.

The Pentagon in a statement said the new policy document “highlights the Department of Defense as a key agency in implementing and achieving the nation’s goals in this important domain.”

Trump administration’s national space policy formalizes Space Force role

As usual…..do not take my word for it and if you like you can read the plan for yourself…..

Click to access National-Space-Policy.pdf

I realize that there are limited amount of time for some of us on-line….so let me jump to a synopsis for those with the limited time…..

It has five major headings with several bullet points each.  The following excerpts provide a snapshot.

“AMERICA FIRST AMONG THE STARS: President Trump’s National Space Strategy works within his broader national security policy by putting America’s interests firsts.”  It “emphasizes dynamic and cooperative interplay between the national security, commercial, and civil space sectors,” and “ensures that international agreements put the interests of American people, workers, and businesses first.”  It also “prioritizes regulatory reforms that will unshackle American industry….”

“SPACE PREEMINENCE THROUGH THE AMERICAN SPIRIT: President Trump’s National Space Strategy harnesses the American spirit and continues the American tradition of pioneering and exploration.”  It lays “the groundwork for the next generation of American exploration in space” and “establishes forthrightly that securing the scientific, commercial and national security benefits of space is a top priority for this Administration.”

“PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: President Trump’s space strategy builds on the National Security Strategy emphasizing peace through strength in the space domain.”  It ensures “unfettered access to, and freedom to operate in space”; “affirms that any harmful interference with or attack upon critical components of our space architecture … will be met with a deliberate response at a time, place, manner, and domain of our choosing”; “recognizes that our competitors and adversaries have turned space into a warfighting domain”; and the “United States will seek to deter, counter, and defeat threats in the space domain that are hostile to the national interests of the United States and our allies.”

“FOUR PILLARS FOR A UNIFIED APPROACH: President Donald J. Trump’s new National Space Strategy drives a “whole-of-government” approach to United States leadership in space, in close partnership with the private sector and our allies, and is based on four essential pillars.”  They are: “transform to more resilient space architectures”; “strengthen deterrence and warfighting options”; “improve foundational capabilities, structures, and processes”; and “foster conducive domestic and international environments.”

“A NEW DIRECTION FOR U.S. SPACE: President Trump has already taken significant steps to reorient American space policy and set it on the right path for the future.”  It identifies those steps as recreating the National Space Council and signing Space Policy Directive-1.

White House Releases Fact Sheet on New National Space Strategy – Updated

Nothing about this plan says that it is for the peaceful exploration of space for the good of all mankind (reference Outer Space Treaty of 1967).

Nothing has changed my opinion of the course for our newest military service, the Space Force.

Did you know the there was a US Office of Space Commerce?

This is the website only under Trump it is accessible…….https://www.space.commerce.gov/  This mission statement

The Office of Space Commerce is the principal unit for space commerce policy activities within the Department of Commerce. Its mission is to foster the conditions for the economic growth and technological advancement of the U.S. commercial space industry.

Not to worry Biden has plans for space as well…..

Biden has already signalled that he sees NASA’s role as having a greater focus on addressing the global challenge posed by climate change. That would certainly mean investing more in new satellites and scientific research to monitor changing weather patterns and rising sea levels and to deal with climate-change-induced extreme weather. A more ambitious, parallel approach would be to invest in establishing a permanent human presence in space, including on and around the moon, to support the development of space-related renewable energy technology, such as space-based solar power.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/12/11/bidens_space_policy_boldly_going__where_652752.html

To Infinity And Beyond”!

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Mission Space

I am one of the few bloggers that are concerned with the stretch of American interventionism into space seriously.

The new Space Force to me looks like an invasion and occupation force….nothing about it appears to be about self-defense no matter what lies the government spreads.

I have looked at the legality of the Space Force and looked beyond satellites and looked into the possibility armed conflict and destruction.

If a refresher course is need then I can help there as well….https://lobotero.com/2019/07/16/space-law-part-2/

More backstory…..https://lobotero.com/2020/11/08/the-space-force/ This post covers the warfare that will be available to the new Force.

The training is for war….not self-defense…..

Space Force’s new training and readiness unit, called STARCOM, is working from the ground up to figure out what doctrine, skills and tech space professionals will need for orbital warfare.

“What we are really bringing to the fight is focus. Focus on space,” Col. Peter Flores, commander of the Space Training and Readiness (STAR) Delta Provisional at Space Operations Command, said in an interview today. (STAR Delta is the predecessor to a brand new training and readiness field command, that will be called STARCOM. It will be led by a two-star and is expected to be up and running sometime next year.)

“We’ve decided that the topic is important enough and unique enough that we need a group of people who understand it down to its most fundamental levels,” Flores added.

https://breakingdefense.com/2020/11/starcom-training-troops-to-fight-space-wars-boldly/

I believe that the Treaty of 1967 should be the rule….not some warmongering bullshit from the M-IC….the space exploration should be peaceful and shared…..

In 2019, US President Donald Trump declared “space is the new war-fighting domain”. This followed the creation of the US Space Force and a commitment to “American dominance” in outer space.

Other space-faring nations, and those who fear the acceleration of an arms race in space, were greatly concerned. At the latest meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, states noted with alarm that “preventing conflicts in outer space and preserving outer space for peaceful purposes” is more necessary than ever.

The election of Joe Biden as the next US president and Kamala Harris as vice-president suggests there is cause for hope. The future of space may look more like the recent launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station.

https://theconversation.com/war-in-space-would-be-a-catastrophe-a-return-to-rules-based-cooperation-is-the-only-way-to-keep-space-peaceful-150947

On a side thought–does the US have protocols for any first contact scenario?

Despite fictional portrayals of first contact, it is most likely that alien life encountered by humanity would be so different from any life encountered by people on earth that it would be inconceivable to plan for, and possibly even unrecognizable. First contact protocols in this scenario would likely be led by scientists. In the unlikely event that humanity encounters intelligent / communicative life, the response would more resemble a whole-of-society approach.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/11/30/an_assessment_of_the_national_security_implications_of_first_contact_651347.html

I realize that most people have other stuff on their minds….but this is important enough for me to dedicate time and resources to research…..your grand kids will be dealing with this in the future is it not important enough to help them prepare?

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The Space Force

Not the Netflix sit-com…the real life Space Force that will take the US military into the next century.

Our very first Space Force LTs have graduated….

Eighty-six graduates from the United States Air Force Academy celebrated receiving their diplomas April 18 and moved directly into the U.S. Space Force, marking the first infusion of commissioned personnel into the new service since its creation last year.

“As our nation’s first Space Force lieutenants, these leaders will defend democracy and protect the ultimate high ground of space,” said Barrett. “As they depart the Academy today, they will join the ranks of air and space power pioneers. They will be instrumental in building a lean, agile and forward-looking Space Force defending our nation, our allies and our American interests in space.”

While approximately 16,000 military and civilians from the former Air Force Space Command are now assigned to the Space Force, the arrival of these newest officers signals that the new service is taking a significant step toward filling its ranks.

The 86 newest members of the Space Force will fill a variety of roles, the majority of whom are assigned to the space operations career field and will be moving to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, to begin undergraduate space training. The remaining members are assigned to a variety of career fields, such as cyberspace operations, intelligence, developmental engineer and acquisitions manager, and will go to their respective initial skills training locations across the country. Upon completion of training, all 86 will be assigned to a Space Force unit.

Question!

If they are educated by the Air Force and the Air Force already has a Space Command….why do we need a separate Space Force?

A few more questions about our newest military…..Is the Space Force built for war?

If I were a Russian or Chinese space warfare theorist, thinking about a future war with the United States, it might be reasonable to bet that the newly-minted U.S. Space Force was planning for a kinetic space conflict, starting on Day 1.

Understandably, the Space Force keeps a tight lid on broader discussions of its capabilities. There isn’t a lot of direct information one way or another. Without a clear understanding of what the U.S. can do, an analyst might start trying to figure out U.S. intentions.

The culture of the Space Force might still be unformed and changing; it does bear at least a family resemblance to its sister services in at least one significant respect. In the services, the purveyors of kinetic mayhem — the shooters and the killers — tend to be culturally dominant within their respective services. The Space Force has been no exception to this.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/10/16/us_space_force_built_for_war_580985.html

To me this Space Force sounds more like an invasion and occupation force….more so than some vague defense force.

WE even have an orbiting drone just for the future of war.

The fledgling U.S. Space Force’s Space Delta 9 is tasked with performing a mission set that the service describes as orbital warfare. This includes keeping an eye out for potentially hostile activity in space, as well as deterring those threats and even potentially defeating them, according to the unit’s official website. Publicly, it provides this support primarily through various space-based surveillance and communications systems, but, interestingly, it is also responsible for overseeing the operations of the experimental X-37B mini space shuttle, the exact mission and capabilities of which remain obscure.

Space Force highlighted the intriguing orbital warfare mission of Space Delta 9, as part of the larger array of capabilities within its new Space Operations Command (SpOC), in a Tweet earlier this week. The unit had first come into existence in July and had previously been known as the Air Force’s 750th Operations Group, which had only been activated and assigned to that service’s 50th Space Wing the month before. 50th Space Wing, headquartered at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado, was also transferred to the newest branch of America’s armed forces that month, at which time it was rebranded as the Peterson-Schriever Garrison.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37361/space-force-has-a-unit-dedicated-to-orbital-warfare-that-now-operates-the-x-37b-spaceplane

When and we will engage in space battles in the future…what will they be like?

As countries around the world continue to militarize space, experts are beginning to envision what an actual off-world clash might look like.

Unfortunately, dogfights among spacecraft zipping around like in Star Wars are out, Ars Technica reports. Rather, according to a new report published by the Aerospace Corporation, space battle is likely to be way slower, more deliberate, and even a little clunky.

The challenge, the report says, is that space operations need to be planned well in advance. And once a satellite is in orbit, it can’t just change direction or careen around like a fighter plane. That makes the likelihood of a spontaneous skirmish in space much less likely than on Earth.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/experts-actual-space-battles

Last year after the announcement of the creation of the Space Force I wrote and asked the question….Do we need a Space Force?

https://lobotero.com/2019/12/24/does-america-need-a-space-force/

Could the US Space Force be the prelude to the establishment of a Space Empire?

It’s easy to get swept up by the tide of excitement for space exploration and perhaps someday even settling on another world — just think about what a moment of national pride each “first” was during the Cold War-era Space Race.

But that excitement, taken too far into fanaticism, could give rise to a disastrous future in which space is controlled by a totalitarian empire, warns Johns Hopkins University political scientist Daniel Deudney. In a review of Deudney’s new book about those concerns, University of Leicester international relations lecturer Bleddyn Bowen argues that Deudney might be a touch pessimistic — but makes a compelling case that space exploration poses several oft-overlooked threats to our future.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/johns-hopkins-professor-warns-totalitarian-military-space-empire

And you thought the Galactic Empire of Star Wars was fiction.

These are all questions and issues that future international relations people will have to face in the near future…..best not ignore them now or they will bite you in the ass soon rather than later.

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Space 2020

Not to be confused with a 70s TV series, Space 1999.

I have been watching the doings in space these days….since we have a new force for our interventionist policies, the Space Force……we need to keep an eye on the policies and situations that will effect this nation in the future both near future and the extended one.

We are entering and by we I mean humans a new area when we will be competing with other nations for the dominance of space.

The reasons for urgency are clear. Through intense study of our potential enemies, validated during multiple war-gaming exercises, we know that space is critical should our nation be plunged into conflict. Current Russian and Chinese military doctrine prioritizes new capabilities to attack our space systems in order to disrupt, blind and disconnect our joint land, sea, air and cyber forces at the outset of war. In recent years, both countries have developed and demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities, even destroying their own to send a clear signal to the world.

Our war-gaming scenarios have taught us something else: Because there are few places to hide in space, there is a significant “first mover” advantage in the event of conflict. This problem is made worse, as our current space systems were designed for a benign domain. This is why we are pursuing a resilient architecture of capabilities designed to exact military space power should war initiate in, or extend to, space.

https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/09/14/space-dominance-requires-taking-technology-and-policy-risks/

It is expensive getting to space…..but there are some plans to cut the costs…..

The hardest thing about space is getting there. A 2016 estimate, using the SpaceX Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket, put the cost at $9,100 per pound. So the Pentagon is looking at ways to reduce the bill, including putting 3D printers into orbit to repair smaller satellites or even beef up their capabilities, the vice commander of the Space Force said in a recent interview.

That future might be built by companies like Redwire, which in June acquired Made in Space, which put a 3D printer aboard the International Space Station in 2014.

You might think that 3D printing on a space station is as easy as it is on Earth. But don’t underestimate the role that gravity plays. “There’s an entire engineering within an engineering process that has to take place,” said Austin Jordan, a communications manager at Redwire. “There are a lot of environmental factors and a lot of gravity factors that make it completely different.” 

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2020/10/space-force-eyes-orbiting-3d-printers-satellite-tow-trucks/169084/

Once we get there and can begin our exploitation the Moon will be first on the list….

 

The discussion about mining the Moon resembles that of previous conquests: the division of territory; the grabbing of resources; language of theft and plunder.  All of this is given the gloss of manifest destiny and human experiment. Such language is also self-perpetuating: the plunderer is only as good as the amount taken; success is dependent on constant replenishment and expansion.

A presentation from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory sports the message that would sit comfortably with any empire builder in history.  “Across history, human development has relied upon the finite resources of the Earth.”  An unfortunate state of affairs, but never fear: “the moon – a seemingly barren rock – may actually be a treasure trove of rare resources vital to Earth’s future.  And now, nations are looking upwards to a potential lunar gold rush.”

Lunar Lunacy: Competition, Conflict and Mining the Moon

Before any of the invasions and occupations and exploitation can begin….we must understand the geopolitics of outer space.

Outer space is developing as the next domain of Geopolitics in this century. Space exploration, which began after the 1950s initially benefitted the scientific world. Later the increased dependence on outer space by the space-faring nations, for surveillance, reconnaissance, and telecommunication purposes in one way or another increased the nation’s pride. Soon, the outer space created an impact in the field of geopolitics. With the increasing impact of outer space in geopolitics and the many theories that have been put forward by scholars like Everett Dolman and David Deudney, outer space is today considered as the next critical domain. Many International Relations theories have been explaining this developing domain of geopolitics with varying perspectives. In this point, the fact that when one considers the geopolitics of outer space, it is very evident that events in the domain can be well explained in a neo-realist perspective, where the countries are competing for power, rather than the neo-liberal perspective, where the cooperation between the countries is given more emphasis. Since outer space is considered as an evolving and dynamic domain the relevance of the neo-realism and neoliberalism debate gathers much importance. Space is an entity that can be a source of a multitude of possible interpretations that are ambiguous or incompatible, and these differing interpretations led to the development of different political interpretations.  It has been argued by scholars that no genuine “debate” as such has been done in the domain, related to the theories of International Relations, except neo-realism and neo-liberalism debate; nevertheless, the idea of clearly distinct theories is analytically useful in allowing comparison of different perspectives and relating them to different policy implications.

The Neo-Neo Debate in Understanding the Geopolitics of Outer Space

I have been concerned with the uses of space…all those proposed uses seem to violate a treaty that the US and most other countries signed years ago….and as usual I had my thoughts put down on IST and Gulf South Free Press….

https://lobotero.com/2019/07/16/space-law-part-2/

https://gulfsouthfreepress.wordpress.com/2020/04/10/space-mining/

A lot of info to digest and I realize that some people have an allergic reaction if reading is required…..so I try to help them by including some short videos to help them grasp the concepts I have written.

Space–The Next Region For Conflict.

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Legal “Black Holes” Of Outer Space

Since the inception of the newest military branch in the US, the Space Force, I have been trying to get people to see the legal implications of so-called space exploration.

First to me this “Force” will be more about occupation than exploration.

I have written several times about the treaties and the legal aspects of this force in operation in space.

https://lobotero.com/2019/04/12/space-law/

https://lobotero.com/2019/07/16/space-law-part-2/

For those that cannot read…..a couple of short videos…..

https://youtu.be/h6AWAoc_Lr0
https://youtu.be/0pC7Aa3s00Y
 
The US among other international players have signed this treaty…..
 
By adopting the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty (OST) as an analytical framework in relation to the rise of the so-called US ‘NewSpace’ actors, this essay argues that there are significant legal ambiguities regarding the status of private space companies in orbital space. Such loopholes allow the US government to circumvent its own obligations to the OST, whilst simultaneously undermining the notion of space as a ‘global commons’ through a commodification process. The lack of specificity within the OST surrounding private property rights over extra-terrestrial resources risks the prospect of reinforcing Earth-bound wealth inequalities and US dominance in space, by restricting the potential economic benefits for the broader global citizenry in favour of a narrow class of wealthy American investors. Moreover, the OST’s weak clause regarding the regulation of space surveillance risks the incentivisation of a ‘global panopticon’ network of US satellites. The rise of dual-use technology is blurring the boundaries between military and civilian observations, raising serious ethical concerns over the nature of US space-based data collection. Finally, the increasing number of private satellite constellations is facilitating the possibility of cataclysmic space debris collisions which could exacerbate geopolitical tensions. Such developments are also contributing towards the contamination of the broader space environment in ways that the OST had never envisioned.
 
This could open up the SciFi scenario of corporations owning space…..
 
Also the treaty forbade the placing of weapons of offensive style in space…but that has stopped NO one…..
… corporate media repeated U.S. military propaganda: that Russia had “tested new technologies that could lead to so-called ‘killer satellites’” (ABC); the U.S. and Britain “accused Russia of testing a weapon-like projectile in space that could be used to target satellites in orbit” (BBC); “the US has publicly accused Russia of testing an ‘orbit weapon’” (CNN); “The launch could represent a step towards the militarisation of space”(Sky News); and so on.
 
These reports invert the chronology of events and omit the U.S. agenda to dominate space. Like China’s verified destruction of its own weather satellite in 2007, Russia’s alleged maneuvers in space are—if true—a response to what the Pentagon calls “Full Spectrum Dominance”: “dominating the space dimension of military operations to protect U.S. interests and investment.” This was a Clinton-era doctrine (1993-2001) which continues into the present. The Bush administration (2001-09) extended the policy, going from domination to “ownership”: Like the battles of old, “whoever owned the high ground owned the fight.” So-called Ballistic Missile Defense, which is supposedly designed counter nuclear weapons-carrying ICBMs, are actually missiles with the potential for first-strike capacity.

The Space Wars Have Begun

It appears that all signatories of the 1967 treaty have forgotten their pledge that space would be developed for all of mankind…..now they are just weaponizing space as quickly as possible.

Time to make these players live up to the treaty they signed all those years ago.

After I completed this draft news cam out about our new Space Force……they now have a doctrine published…..

The Space Force has three guiding responsibilities, according to the document. They are:

  • Preserve freedom of action 
  • Enable joint lethality and effectiveness
  • Provide independent options

“The United States’ ability to project and employ national power is predicated on access to space. Therefore, unfettered access to and freedom to operate in space is a vital national interest,” the document says.

But read the doctrine for yourself…DO NOT take my word for it….

Click to access Space%20Capstone%20Publication_10%20Aug%202020.pdf

Amazing what crap you can sell if you wrap it in the “national security blanket”……

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Space Force (Netflix)

I have written a lot on the US newest military service, the Space Force, I think it will be a huge siphon of cash from the taxpayer…..but that said this post is about a Netflix series entitle as it were Space Force.

But first….the real mission of the real Space Force……https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-space-forces-real-mission-wasting-taxpayer-dollars/

Welcome Spacemen!

The series was in the works before the official announcement of the Trump’s Space Force……a series created by and starring Steve Carell with John Malkovich……

A couple of trailers for your consideration…

But this is not a review of the Netflix series but rather the name…Space Force….it is about a legal question that could arise….

This from The Hill……

The Netflix original comedy “Space Force,” which is based on the new branch of the military launched by President Trump, reportedly obtained trademark rights for the name before the government.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show secured trademark rights to “Space Force” in multiple places, including Europe, Australia and Mexico, while the Air Force owns only a pending application for registration in the United States. That means the show has more confirmed trademark rights than the U.S. military. 

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office usually grants trademarks based on a “first-to-use” system, and Netflix filed for the trademark as early as January. 

The Netflix show named after the branch debuted late last month and follows Steve Carell’s character, who works as a general developing the new Space Force. In addition to Carell, who portrayed the popular character Michael Scott in “The Office,” the series also stars actors John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Jimmy O. Yang, Diana Silvers and Lisa Kudrow.

While most people understand the difference between the show “Space Force” and the military Space Force, the trademark could play into merchandise confusion if clothing or a mug, for example, were to hit stores and customers were curious as to who was actually selling the goods.

(thehill.com)

In case you are interested……Very funny…..the series not the idea of a Space Force…..

We are on our way to the Moon…..and it is not for scientific research but rather as an occupying force…..something to think about when you watch Netflix series, The Space Force.

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So You Wanna Be a A Space Cadet?

Or maybe a Starship Trooper? Even a Colonial Marine?

What the Hell am I going on about?

The US has a new branch of our military, the Space Force…..and if you would like to join up then maybe knowing what jobs will be available would help…..

Maj. Gen. Clinton Crosier said Space Force now has built a staff of about 110 in its headquarters element, of about 200 that it needs. Space Force will build to a strength of roughly 15,000, he said, working to stay focused by avoiding duplication of infrastructure and support functions already provided by other services.

Rather, he said, the members of the nation’s newest military branch will focus on five key technical areas: space operations, space engineering, space intelligence, space acquisition and science, and space cyber.

According to Crosier’s presentation, they include the following:

  • 13S Space Ops
  • 1C6 Space Systems Ops
  • 14N Intel
  • 17C Cyber Ops Officer
  • 17D Cyber Ops
  • 1N0 All Source Intel
  • 1N1 Geospatial Intel
  • 1N2 Signals Intel
  • 3D1N4 Fusion Analysis
  • 3D0 Cyber Ops
  • 3D1 Cyber Support
  • 62E Development Engineer
  • 62S Materiel Leader
  • 63A Acquisition Manager
  • 63G Senior Materiel Ldr-Upper Ech
  • 63S Materiel Leader

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/03/here-are-16-jobs-will-be-available-troops-us-space-force.html

Be the first on your street to be the newest Space Cadet…..

Somewhere in all this BS is violations of a international treaty on space…..but that never stopped the US from crapping on a treaty to gain the upper hand.

Geez why would I say that about a treaty?

Defense officials want to test a neutral particle-beam in orbit in fiscal 2023 as part of a ramped-up effort to explore various types of space-based weaponry. They’ve asked for $304 million in the 2020 budget to develop such beams, more powerful lasers, and other new tech for next-generation missile defense. Such weapons are needed, they say, to counter new missiles from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran. But just figuring out what might work is a difficult technical challenge.

So the Pentagon is undertaking two studies. The first is a $15 million exploration of whether satellites outfitted with lasers might be able to disable enemy missiles coming off the launch pad. Defense officials have said previously that these lasers would need to be in the megawatt class. They expect to finish the study within six months.

https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/03/pentagon-wants-test-space-based-weapon-2023/155581/

That Is Why!

But that treaty was signed in good faith but before the realization of the massive profits awaiting humans in space.

You kn9ow the old saying…”Profits before Lives”.

Peace Out!

“lego ergo scribo”

What’s In a Name?

IST is your one stop reading for all things Space Force.

Spacemen? Starship Troopers?  Astro Troopers?  What shall we call our newest soldiers for space?  I like Space Cadets or Space Aces.

There seems to be a bit of a quandary on the name of the soldiers that will be serving in the new Space Force.

The Air Force calls its personnel airmen, but the Space Force isn’t planning on calling its troops “spacemen”—and “space cadets” has also been ruled out. The new branch of the US military said in a press release this week that it would like members of the military, space professionals in particular, to submit “ideas related to Space Force ranks, names for operational units and what Space Force members should be called collectively,” the Week reports. Space Force commanders say they want names that will “appropriately convey the nature of the newest Armed Forces branch and the domain in which it operates.” Air Force personnel have been invited to submit ideas here.

“As we continue to forge the Space Force into a lean, agile and forward-looking 21st Century warfighting branch, we want to provide space professionals the opportunity to influence what the members of our new service will be called,” Lt. Gen. DT Thompson, US Space Force vice commander, said in the release. “Proposals must be gender-neutral, distinctive and should emphasize a future-oriented military force,” the Space Force release said. Submissions also “cannot violate copyrights, infringe on trademarks or other intellectual property rights, or be proprietary,” which rules out “Starship Troopers,” Task & Force notes.

My choice is Colonial Marines.  Spaceships will be called “ships”…Marines are stationed on naval vessels…….what better name.

Since we will be colonizing space we need a force aptly named….Colonial Marines.

Not the loss any cash or prestige the National Guard wants in on the new Space Force……

National Guard leaders are openly questioning the Defense Department’s decision to stand up a U.S. Space Force without defining the role the National Guard will play in supporting the new service.

National Guard Bureau officials and adjutants general from five states met with reporters at the Pentagon Feb. 12 to lay out their case that a Space National Guard should be established as soon as possible as a reserve component to the U.S. Space Force.

The debate over how the Guard would support the U.S. Space Force has been simmering in the background since a year ago, when the Pentagon submitted to Congress a proposal to establish a Space Force but did not specify the role of the National Guard.

National Guard leaders press case for a Space National Guard

More money for the taxpayers to cover….the National Guard primary function is to assist the states with control and command during disasters……so unless we plan on annexing space they are NOT needed as part of this fiasco.

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Closing Thought–28Jan20

A Serious Lack Of Imagination!

By now most will be aware that we have a new a separate military branch, the Space Force…..and just last week the new “logo” was released…..

Notice anything?

The Pentagon’s new US Space Force is not Star Trek’s Starfleet Command, but their logos bear a striking similarity, the AP reports. President Trump unveiled the Space Force logo Friday, writing on Twitter that he had consulted with military leaders and designers before presenting the blue-and-white symbol, which features an arrowhead shape centered on a planetary background and encircled by the words, “United States Space Force” and “Department of the Air Force.” The logo, which bears the date 2019 in Roman numerals, also is similar in design to that of Air Force Space Command, from which Space Force was created by legislation that Trump signed in last month. (See a comparison of the Space Force logo and the Starfleet Command logo here.)

Space Force explained the logo in a statement late Friday: “The delta symbol, the central design element in the seal, was first used as early as 1942 by the US Army Air Forces; and was used in early Air Force space organization emblems dating back to 1961. Since then, the delta symbol has been a prominent feature in military space community emblems.” Space Force is the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. It is meant mainly to improve protection of US satellites and other space assets, rather than to put warriors in orbit to conduct combat in outer space. “After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military!” Trump wrote. George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek TV series and films, tweeted in response, “Ahem. We are expecting some royalties from this.”

First the logo illustrates a serious lack of imagination then secondly…if it is a separate military force why is it labelled with United States Air Force as well?

Well the Trump administration will never be known for its imagination…..anyway.

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

More Space Stuff!

Here I go again with the space thingy….

My readers know that I keep an eye on the Space Force and our travels outside the atmosphere…..

Are we alone in this vast universe?

We may have an answer soon as exploration of Jupiter’s moons may rove that we are not alone….

In just a few short years, we may know if we’re not alone.

Two probes are being sent to a mysterious moon bursting with the ingredients of life. And expectations are high we’ll find it.

Once it was thought life could not exist without the sun’s warming rays.

We were wrong.

The equation for life (as we know it) is surprisingly simple: soluble water, an energy source, and organic compounds.

Jupiter’s moon Europa appears to have all three.

That’s why we’re going there.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/space/we-are-not-alone-confirmation-of-alien-life-imminent-and-inevitable/news-story/5f1c8c9822b872fb7c9a091d31c29fbc

Our new military branch, Space Force, is getting closer to reality….

The Space Force is setting up a “space doctrine center” where the brand-new American armed service can begin to hammer out how to optimally operate in space, the head of Space Operations Command said Friday.

The Space Force was formally established on Dec. 20 as an independent military branch inside the Department of the Air Force. But much still needs to be done to get the fledgling service up on its feet, including laying out its organizational structure, creating a logo, potentially changing the name of bases and transferring airmen over to the Space Force.

Both the Air Force and Space Force have been working to fulfill these tasks, said Maj. Gen. John Shaw, who leads Space Operations Command and holds the title of U.S. Space Command’s combined force space component commander. Space Operations Command was formerly known as 14th Air Force up until the creation of the Space Force.

https://www.defensenews.com/space/2020/01/10/space-force-to-stand-up-a-doctrine-hub/

Then there is SapceX and their plan for Mars in 2050…..

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed new details about his plans to colonize Mars.

In theory, 1,000 Starships could eventually send “maybe around 100k people per Earth-Mars orbital sync,” Musk tweeted. “That’s the goal,” he added.

Musk envisions these ships departing Earth orbit over a 30-day period, the window of time when Earth and Mars are best aligned to make the trip, every 26 months.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-million-people-mars-2050

I watch The Expanse and you know I can see that world unfolding day by day…..there will be three factions trying to dominate space….Earth, Mars and the newly populated the Outer Planets…..the way we are going about space exploration will not end well for humanity…..but that is a post for another year…no doubt….

I Read, I Wrote, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”