Space Force

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...

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --  In a bracing speech to Air Force Academy cadets who are the service’s future leaders, Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Nov. 12, did not mince words about the qualities necessary for strong leadership and why capable, insightful, moral leaders are more essential than ever in defense of the nation. “I have been working for the last three and a half years to get the Department of the Air Force ready for the next war we may have to fight,” Kendall said. “War is not inevitable. Deterrence will remain our goal, under any administration, but deterrence will not succeed unless we demonstrate that we are ready for war. Your job will be to help ensure deterrence is successful, and if it fails, to achieve v...

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) --  The U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific is celebrating its second birthday by reflecting on the significant strides made in strengthening the U.S. military’s space operations and enhancing partnerships in the region. Over the past two years, the first U.S. space service component has tripled in size, established a 24/7 space watch cell, executed three Tier 1 Combatant Command exercises, signed the service’s first component support plan, and has been pivotal in expediting the fielding of space capabilities in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility.Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, U.S. Space...