WASHINGTON -- The United States Space Force is a dedicated branch of the military established to ensure the nation's superiority and security in the increasingly contested space domain. This is reflected in the USSF mission to “secure our Nation’s interests in, from and to space.”
For Space Force weather and environmental support both on earth and in space, USSF Guardians looks to the United States Air Force Weather and Environmental Science Operations Career field and its Airmen to provide a wide range of capabilities. USAF WESO Airmen are stationed across the globe supporting a multitude of USSF operations.
WESO Airmen and Civilians assigned to the 30th Operations Support Squadron and 45th Weather Squadron provide support for space launch operations, to include on-console operations, directly impacting launch operations from both the west coast at Vandenberg SFB to the east coast at Patrick SFB/Cape Canaveral. These Airmen and Civilians provide missile and spacecraft convoy products, pre-launch forecasts, and on-console weather support for missile tests, space lift missions, and space launch operations, both manned and unmanned. The Airmen deliver a wide range of environmental criteria, including 8 specific lightning launch commit criteria that can be triggered by the spacecraft itself as it flies through clouds. A spacecraft will not launch without a “GO” from WESO Airmen, making their mission critical to the United States’ National Interests in space.
For assets in space, WESO Airmen provide direct and indirect support to every satellite in space, including the requirements process. Airmen assigned to the Combat Operations Division Weather Flight Within USSF’s Combined Forces Space Component Command integrate 24/7 space and terrestrial weather support, conduct spacecraft anomaly assessments, and deliver space alerts and warnings to 70 space-based tactical units across USSPACECOM and USSTRATCOM. Additionally, WESO Airmen assigned to the Headquarters staff at Space Operations Command ensure programmatic success and requirements management for all space weather capabilities and USSF’s weather environmental monitoring satellites. These satellites include the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, Electro-optical Infrared Weather Satellite – Geostationary, and Weather System Follow-on – Microwave, which provide the DoD, United States, and international and civil partners with space-based environmental monitoring. All these Airmen ensure the USSF can conduct safe and effective Space Domain Awareness Operations.
Lastly, space weather is critical to all operations on earth and in space. According to the DoD dictionary, space weather is the conditions and phenomena in space, specifically in the near-Earth environment, that may affect space assets or space operations. Space weather is a top priority for the Airmen of 2d Weather Squadron within the 557th Weather Wing who operate the DAF’s only 24/7 Space Weather Operations Center. This center operates on all security domains providing environmental anomaly assessments and space weather forecasts, alerts, and observed warnings to the DoD, Intelligence Community, and even our international partners to include NATO.
Additionally, 2d WS operates 5 solar detachments spanned across the globe from the United States to Australia to Italy, that observe the sun 24/7, 365 days a year. These Airmen maintain continuous situational awareness of sun conditions and activity, visual solar observations and observed radio bursts, and issue warnings when solar activity reaches a certain warfighter threshold. Finally, 2d WS has a liaison that collaborates and directly sits with NOAAs Space Weather Prediction Center to ensure civil and defense efforts on space weather are synchronized. Without the weather Airmen of 2d WS, the DoD, United States, and international community would be blind to space weather impacts that could affect aviation operations, communications, navigation systems, missile defense radars, and even electrical grids.
As we celebrate the USSF’s 5th birthday, we need to recognize that mission success in space would not be possible without the WESO Airmen that support the USSF’s 24/7 operations. From communications and navigation on the ground to launches into space to satellites operating in space, no mission would be possible without the capabilities that USAF WESO Airmen provide around the clock to ensure USSF Guardians can conduct their missions safely and successfully.