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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

Latest Updates

Satellite imagery of Lakes Huron and Michigan.

US shoots down UFOs over Lake Huron and Canada

By Tia Ghose last updated 14 February 23

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 10 February 23

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 9 February 23

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 8 February 23

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 7 February 23

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 5 February 23

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 3 February 23

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 31 January 23

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 20 January 23

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 15 January 23

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 15 January 23

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 10 January 23

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 114 small satellites on the Transporter-6 mission on Jan. 3, 2022.

Tiny Space Force weather cubesat went up on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

By Mike Wall published 5 January 23

One of the many payloads that took flight atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday (Jan. 3) was a tiny cubesat that will gather weather data for the U.S. Space Force.

A screenshot of the SpaceForce.com website showing an Vulcan Centaur rocket waiting to launch.

US Space Force launches new recruitment site with flashy Vulcan Centaur rocket

By Elizabeth Howell published 30 December 22

Space Force has a new look for its recruiting website: a simulated launch of the United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket bringing a GPS satellite to space.

Santa Claus sits ready for flight in front of an F-16 at Buckley Air Force Base.

Santa Claus is coming to town! Here's how to track him this Christmas Eve with NORAD

By Brett Tingley published 23 December 22

Santa Claus is coming to town, and you can track his progress worldwide this Christmas with NORAD's Santa Tracker website.

Flag of the Space Training and Readiness Command

US Space Force practices 'space combat tactics' to win a European conflict

By Brett Tingley published 22 December 22

The United States Space Force is training to prepare for a European conflict, practicing space combat tactics alongside allies.

The Pentagon, home to the U.S. Department of Defense, is being flooded with UFO reports.

US military reports 'several hundred' UFO sightings in 2022, Pentagon officials claim

By Brandon Specktor published 22 December 22

UFO reports from U.S. military personnel are flooding the government's new All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

An image released by North Korean state news of a flight test of a satellite launch vehicle.

North Korea launches test flight for planned 2023 spy satellite

By Brett Tingley published 19 December 22

North Korea launched a rocket to test ground stations ahead of a planned spy satellite launch into orbit by April 2023, according to the nation's state-run media.