Space Force

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) --  In an era defined by rapid technology advancements and with a worldwide platform saturated with Great Power Competition, the Distributed Mission Operations Center on Kirtland Air Force Base, hosted its Virtual Flag: Coalition exercise, Oct. 21–Nov. 4. This exercise is key! It’s all about coalition partnerships; partners and allies. We are a proud part of that warfighting integration team. This exercise is a testament to that idea.” Royal Canadian Air Force Maj. Gary Stone, RCAF head of delegation  VFC is continuing to grow as one of the Department of Defense’s biggest exercises held in a virtual theater-level joint combat environment in an Indo-Pac...

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --  Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force John Bentivegna visited Pituffik Space Base, Greenland, Nov. 20-22. Bentivegna was joined by Chief Master Sgt. Jacob Simmons, the command senior enlisted leader of U.S. Space Command, and Congressional staff to get a glimpse into quality-of-life services for Guardians and Airmen at the Defense Department's most northern and remote location.During an all-call, Bentivegna praised the Guardians and Airmen who are responsible for operating and maintaining the base’s mission and thanked them for their hard work and dedication. “Your dedication...

KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. (AFNS) --  The Air Force Research Laboratory launched the Space Power InfraRed Regulation and Analysis of Lifetime experiment on Nov. 4. SPIRRAL, flown by AFRL through the DOD Space Test Program, will characterize the performance of Variable Emissivity Materials, an approach toward solving thermal challenges for space vehicles while on-orbit.VEMs are surface finishes that act like color-changing paints, however, the changes in coloration are only in the infrared light spectrum and are not visible to the human eye. VEMs can either reject or retain heat depending on the temperature being experienced. When the VEMs are hot, the material’s optical properties change to reject heat; when they are cold, they retain heat, effectively reducin...

BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) --  Astronauts aboard the International Space Station conducted an educational downlink, a communication signal from the spacecraft back to Earth, for Denver School of Science and Technology students, hosted by the JEKL Institute on Nov. 13, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.Col. Nick Hague, Space Force Guardian and NASA astronaut, the first Space Force Guardian to launch into space in September 2024, under the NASA Astronaut program, represented the dream of space flight for all the children in attendance.Hague's infectious enthusiasm for inspiring the next generation of space explorers shone through in every aspect of the conversation. "I'm thrilled to be a part of this event and to have the opportunity...

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AFNS) --  In 2022, Space Systems Command formally partnered with the University of Southern California as part of the USSF’s University Partnership Program via a Memorandum of Understanding.“Partnering to win is a key component of ensuring space superiority. It is an indispensable pre-requisite to the success of the Joint Force,” said Col. Matthew Spencer, commander of SSC’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing Program Systems Delta with the Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Program Executive Office.“Our partnerships with joint, coalition, international, interagency, academic, and commercial stakeholders act as critical force multipliers and expand our competitive advantage,” he continued.USC was the firs...