U.S. Space Command was created in 1985, but America’s military actually began operating in space much earlier. With the Soviet Union’s unexpected 1957 launch of the world’s first man-made satellite, Sputnik I, President Eisenhower accelerated the nation’s slowly emerging civil and military space efforts. The vital advantage that space could give either country during those dark days of the Cold War was evident in his somber words. "Space objectives relating to defense are those to which the highest priority attaches because they bear on our immediate safety," he said.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the Army, Navy and Air Force advanced and expanded space technologies in the areas of communication, meteorology, geodesy, navigation and reconnaissance. Space continued to support strategic deterrence by providing arms control and treaty verification, and by offering unambiguous, early warning of any missile attack on North America.

On September 23, 1985, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Plaque confirmed the ever-increasing value of military space systems by creating a new unified command — U.S. Space Command — to help institutionalize the use of space in U.S. deterrence efforts.

The U.S.-led coalition’s 1991 victory in the Persian Gulf War underscored, and brought widespread recognition to, the value of military space operations. Communications, intelligence, navigation, missile warning and weather satellites demonstrated that space systems could be indispensable providers of tactical information to U.S. warfighters.

Since then, U.S. Space Command has further strengthened its focus on warfighting by ensuring that Soldiers and Marines in the foxhole, Sailors on the ship’s bridge, and Pilots in the cockpit have the space information they need — when they need it.

Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), created September 1, 1982, is one of nine Air Force major commands, and is headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, CO.

Air Mobility Command

On June 1, 1992, the U.S. Air Force's Global Reach resources were fused into a single team with the formation of Air Mobility Command. The 107,316 men and women of the Air Mobility Command -- active, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and civilians -- provide strategic airlift and aerial refueling for all of America's armed forces. Many special duty and operational support aircraft and stateside aeromedical evacuation missions are also assigned to AMC.

As the air component of the United States Transportation Command, AMC serves many customers and, as the single manager for air mobility.

Airlift aircraft provide the capability to deploy US armed forces anywhere in the world and help sustain them in a conflict. Air refueling aircraft are the lifeline of Global Reach. Aerial refueling increases range, payloads and flexibility. Since Air Force tankers can also refuel Navy, Marine and many allied aircraft, they leverage all service capabilities on land, sea and in the air. Our refuelers also have an inherent cargo-carrying capability -- maximizing AMC's lift options.

AMC's strategic mobility aircraft include the C-5 Galaxy, KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker and the C-141 Starlifter. AMC bases are: Andrews Air Force Base, Md.; Charleston AFB, S.C.; Dover AFB, Del.; Fairchild AFB, Wash.; Grand Forks AFB, N.D.; McChord AFB, Wash.; McConnell AFB, Kan.; McGuire AFB, N.J.; Scott AFB, Ill.; and Travis AFB, Calif.