The U.S. Space Force (USSF) quietly conducted its first test launch of an unarmed nuclear-capable ballistic missile overnight across the Pacific Ocean.
The intercontinental ballistic missile launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 12:33 a.m. PT on Wednesday, February 5. The missile traveled about 4,200 miles before landing around the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, according to Gizmodo. This is the first launch since the USSF became the sixth branch of the military in December.
“This launch marks a very special moment in our nation’s history,” Col. Anthony Mastalir, the 30th Space Wing commander, said in a press release about the launch. “Providing the range support needed to facilitate this launch showcases how the Space Force will continue to support and integrate into the joint fight to ensure national security for our country.”
The USSF used the Minuteman III missile, which reportedly has a maximum range of more than 8,000 miles.
The press release said that the testing was “not related to any real-world events,” and that the launch instead was meant to “holistically test the systems, procedures, and Airmen.”
Proud of our @30thSpaceWing team that supported @AFGlobalStrike's #ICBM Developmental Test Launch today. "We have to demonstrate that we are ready and deter from a position of strength." – Gen. John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the @thejointstaff. #Deterrence @US_Stratcom pic.twitter.com/sRj95ZoHFM
— United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) February 5, 2020
The main goal of the USSF is to train and equip the military to protect the U.S. and its allied interests in space.
“USSF responsibilities include developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to our Combatant Commands,” the USSF’s website says.
When President Donald Trump announced his idea for a Space Force in March 2018, the idea was met with a combination of excitement, dread, and mockery. Trump officially made the USSF a branch of the military on December 20, 2019, by signing into law the $738 billion defense bill.
Since it officially became a branch of the military a few months ago, the USSF has decommissioned a 26-year-old GPS satellite to make way for newer ones as well as enlisted Gen. John Raymond as the first Chief of Space Operations.
Digital Trends reached out to the USSF to see how many test launches they plan to conduct this year. We will update this story when we hear back.
After 13 suborbital test flights and more than $15 billion in development costs, SpaceX's Starship has finally reached orbit. The 407-foot megarocket, the most powerful ever built, lifted off from Starbase, Texas, on Monday and delivered its first real payload on it's 14th attempt. The celebration came with an asterisk, though, since SpaceX had to cut the planned 10-hour mission to roughly three hours.
https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/2104601695711904180
SpaceX is finally ready to give Starship its biggest test yet. The company says the massive rocket's 14th test flight is scheduled for September 22, when it will attempt to put the upper stage into Earth orbit for the first time. The launch is currently pending regulatory approval, with a 75-minute window opening at 7:15 a.m. CT.
Starship has 26 Starlink satellites to deliver
For decades, humanity has looked up at the Moon and wondered what it would be like to live on it. Think sprawling cities, factories, research centers, and permanent human settlements. Unfortunately, there is one fairly fundamental problem with that vision.
A new study published in Frontiers in Space Technologies argues that even the Moon's potentially enormous reserves of frozen water may be nowhere near enough to support city-sized populations sustainably. Researchers Martin Elvis and Jonathan McDowell estimate that the permanently shadowed regions near the lunar poles could contain roughly one billion tons of water. It sounds like an extraordinary amount until you put a million thirsty humans next to it.