Friday marked five years since the U.S. Space Force officially became the country’s newest branch of service.
Although it is organized under the Department of the Air Force, it is a separate and distinct branch of the armed services.
KRDO13 was recently invited to speak with Colonel Kenneth Klock at Peterson Space Force Base about how far the Space Force has come since its formation, and the role that local members of the Air Force and Space Force play to help accomplish its mission.
Klock, who took command of Space Base Delta 1 in July at the direction of the president, says the Space Force was formed out of the need to protect and defend the space capabilities that the U.S. enjoys.
“Our competitors have recognized the advantages that we enjoy from space, and have developed their own capabilities to try and counter our advantages.”
The majority of the 200+ rockets launched into space in 2023 were American, but several dozen of those were from countries considered adversaries to the United States.
Russia has already performed at least two tests involving an anti-satellite weapon, according to U.S. military officials.
It was this competition for space that lead President Trump during his first term to officially create the Space Force on December 20, 2019 at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
It was the first time in 72 years that a new branch of the military was added.
While space technology might sound more like science fiction to many Americans, it has become an essential part of their daily lives, assisting in everyday activities like banking, shopping, shipping, navigation, and more.
Klock points out satellite technology is also an essential tool on the battlefield.
“GPS is a great example of this,” he says, “it isn’t just for navigating from one side of town to the other. That timing signal that GPS provides is baked into the fabric of everything that we do.”
As commander of Space Base Delta 1, Klock doesn’t necessarily conduct the various space force missions.
His job, along with the 3700 airmen and guardians beneath him, is to support* those missions carried out at Peterson, Schreiver, and other locations around the globe.
Unlike the other military branches that have their own support structure that provides medical, security, engineering, and other non-mission services, the Space Force is much leaner.
Its focus is solely on space-related missions, meaning it relies on Space Base Delta 1 for support in those other areas.
SBD1 is comprised of 97% airmen serving in support-type functions.
The Space Force missions currently located in the Pikes Peak region include the GPS network, missile warning systems, satellite communications, and space domain awareness.
Space domain awareness has become especially important in recent years, with tens of thousands of objects moving in orbit at speeds of up to 17,000 miles an hour, and many more pieces of active equipment or junk added every year.
Each of those objects is capable of doing major damage in the event of a collision, requiring the frequent maneuvering of satellites to avoid them.
“Certainly collisions have occurred,” explains Klock, “It’s not common, it’s not often, but it has happened, and it has made us very aware of the need to be very vigilant and proactive on making sure that we avoid collisions.”
Klock compares the age of the Space Force to the age of a human, saying that all of the basic functions have now been established, and now it is becoming more capable and stronger every day.
While he wouldn’t comment on whether U.S. Space Command should remain in Colorado Springs or move to Huntsville, Alabama, he was very clear that Colorado Springs is ground zero for space operations.
“The front range and Space Base Delta 1 really is the epicenter of America’s space power. We command and control satellites, we have more mission deltas here on the front range than anywhere else in the world,” he said.”
“So this is a very important part, the most important part I would say, of the Space Force outside of the headquarters at the Pentagon.”
RELATED ARTICLE: What is the difference between Space Force and Space Command?
Another recent development locally is the establishment of an officer training course at Peterson SFB and Schriever SFB.
Every brand new second lieutenant coming into the Space Force will now come to this area for a year-long course to learn about satellite operations, intelligence, cyber operations, and more.
That means nearly 500 more servicemembers that will call Peterson their temporary home every year.
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