Military Space

Military forces have a long association with spaceflight, with modern rockets evolving from missiles developed during World War II. Today's armed forces rely on space-based assets for reconnaissance, weather tracking, communication, navigation and more. The U.S. Air Force regularly launches GPS and missile-defense tracking satellites, and operates two classified X-37B robotic space planes. Learn more about military satellites, space weapon, the Space Force and more here.

Related Topics: NASA

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The Port in-space manufacturing facility envisioned by Arkisys for the U.S. Space Force.

US Space Force wants to test how to build satellites in orbit with $1.6 million Arkisys deal

By Jeff Spry published

Arkisys Inc. and its partners awarded $1.6 million contract by the U.S. Space Force for scalable spaceport.

Hypersonic missiles can change course to avoid detection and anti-missile defenses.

Suspected US hypersonic missile test launch from Cape Canaveral scrubbed

By Andrew Jones published

The U.S. Department of Defense scrubbed a test launch of an undisclosed missile out of Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station earlier this month.

A SpaceX rocket lifts off in the background behind the sign for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

US Space Force grants 4 companies launch pads at Cape Canaveral

By Robert Lea published

Space Force wing Space Launch Delta 45 has allocated three launch pads at the historic Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to four private companies.

An illustration of Earth showing how far away geostationary orbit is

A Chinese spacecraft has been checking out US satellites high above Earth

By Andrew Jones published

The Chinese satellite TJS-3, which launched in 2018, has been inspecting other nations' spacecraft high above Earth in geostationary orbit.

A U.S. Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States February 3, 2023.

This photo of China's spy balloon taken from a U-2 reconnaissance plane is absolutely bonkers (video)

By Brett Tingley published

The Department of Defense released an image taken from the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that floated over the United States earlier this month.

An example of pico-ballooning is this U.S. Naval Academy amateur radio balloon experiment.

Mystery object shot down over Yukon may have been harmless 'pico balloon'

By Leonard David published

The object blasted out of the sky over the Yukon on Feb. 11 may have been an amateur radio pico balloon — specifically, a 33-inch-wide one called K9YO-15.

U.S. President Joe Biden discusses the recent shoot-downs of three mysterious aerial objects during a brief press conference on Feb. 16, 2023.

3 mystery objects shot down by US likely weren't spy craft, Biden says

By Mike Wall published

The three mysterious objects shot down recently by U.S. fighter jets were likely research or recreation objects lofted by private companies or academic institutions, President Joe Biden said.

The emblem of the United States Space Force.

What is the U.S. Space Force and what does it do?

By Brett Tingley published

Reference The U.S. Space Force was created as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces in order to protect U.S. space assets as Earth orbit becomes increasingly contested.

Satellite imagery of Lakes Huron and Michigan.

US shoots down UFOs over Lake Huron and Canada

By Tia Ghose last updated

The U.S. shot down a UFO over Lake Huron on Sunday, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the U.S. shot down an unidentified flying object over the Yukon, Canada at his request.

Air Force Capt. Samuel "RaZZ" Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander and pilot, performs an aerial maneuver during the team's certification flight at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Dec. 9, 2022. An F-22 jet took out a Chinese balloon with a Sidewinder missile on Feb. 4, 2023, off the coast of South Carolina.

US military shoots down small object over Alaska

By Mike Wall published

A U.S. fighter jet shot down a mysterious object over Alaska on Friday (Feb. 10), six days after taking out a big Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 54 Starlink internet satellites to orbit on Sept. 18, 2022.

SpaceX worked to prevent Ukraine from using Starlink internet with drones: report

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX took measures to prevent Ukraine from using the company's Starlink internet service to control drones during its ongoing war with Russia, Reuters reported.

Recovery crews fished the big white envelope of a Chinese surveillance balloon out of the ocean about 6 miles (10 kilometers) off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 5, 2023.

US military begins recovering Chinese spy balloon debris (photos)

By Mike Wall published

Recovery teams have already found some pieces of the Chinese surveillance balloon, which an F-22 fighter jet shot down on Saturday (Feb. 4).

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023.

Previous Chinese spy balloons over US were classified as UFOs: report

By Mike Wall published

Some previous detections of Chinese surveillance balloons in U.S. airspace were initially categorized as "unidentified aerial phenomena," according to a report in The New York Times.

Chinese spy balloon flies above in Charlotte NC, United States on February 04, 2023.

US military shoots down Chinese surveillance balloon

By Mike Wall published

An F-22 fighter jet destroyed a Chinese balloon with a Sidewinder missile on Saturday (Feb. 4) when the airship was over the Atlantic Ocean off the South Carolina coast.

A still frame of a video reportedly showing a Chinese surveillance balloon over Montana.

Chinese surveillance balloon in US airspace causes international stir

By Brett Tingley published

China's foreign ministry confirmed that a high-altitude spy balloon seen flying over the northern United States this week was a Chinese airship, claiming that the vehicle is a weather balloon.

Artist’s concept of the DARPA and Lockheed Martin Hypersonic Air Breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC).

DARPA's hypersonic HAWC completes final flight test at over Mach 5

By Brett Tingley published

DARPA announced the end of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program with a final successful test flight that reached speeds over Mach 5 and flew for more than 300 nautical miles.

an aircraft with triangle-shaped wings featuring a hole between the wings and the fuselage. the ground is blurry below, indicating fast movement

This wild DARPA CRANE X-plane could be a giant leap in aircraft design

By Elizabeth Howell published

Aurora Flight Sciences will start the detailed design of the novel, high-performance aircraft as it powers towards an X-plane demonstration flight.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches the USSF-67 mission for the U.S. Space Force from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 15, 2023.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launches classified mission for US Space Force

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launched on its fifth-ever mission on Sunday (Jan. 15), sending multiple satellites aloft for the U.S. Space Force.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket stands atop Pad 39A of NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of the launch of a classified USSF-67 mission for the U.S. Space Force. Liftoff is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2023.

Watch a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch a classified military payload today after delay

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket will be back in action on Sunday (Jan. 15), and you can watch the liftoff live.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket conducts a static fire test at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prep for a planned Jan. 14, 2023 liftoff. SpaceX posted this photo on Twitter on Jan. 10.

SpaceX fires up Falcon Heavy rocket ahead of Saturday launch (photo)

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket has flexed its muscles ahead of a planned liftoff this weekend.