US Space Force officials envision launching military astronauts into space someday, though such missions remain decades away.
Over two years ago, President Donald Trump announced plans for a dedicated US space force, overseen by Chief of Staff Joseph Dunford. Established as the sixth independent branch of the US military in December 2019, the Space Force now focuses on protecting American space assets and interests through orbital operations.
Currently, the Space Force leverages US Air Force space assets, including government satellites and Boeing X-37B spaceplanes conducting classified, uncrewed missions. While no personnel are sent to space today, long-term plans call for change.
“At some point, yes, we will put humans in space,” Major General John Shaw, Chief of Space Operations Command, stated on September 29. “They will then be able to operate command centers somewhere in the lunar environment or elsewhere.”
Lt. Gen. David Thompson, Space Force Vice Commander, reinforced these goals during an October 1 online event hosted by Defense One, a leading US defense and national security publication. However, timelines are extended.
“Is it possible that in the future, members of the United States Space Force will physically, directly and personally go into space? I would say, absolutely,” he affirmed. “But it won't happen in five or ten years”—rather “in a few decades.”
For now, Space Force personnel operate from Earth, including deployments in the Middle East.
Lt. Gen. Thompson also addressed threats from key rivals, Russia and China, noting their advances in satellite-threatening technologies over the past decade.
“During this decade, we expect them to be capable of threatening our space capabilities either kinetically or non-kinetically, reversibly or irreversibly, in just about every field,” he said of China, with similar concerns for Russia based on recent US military assessments.
