Space Force Doctrine Document: Space Force

Key Chapter Title List

1. Why We Fight: The Necessity of Spacepower
2. Who We Are: Guardians and Military Space Professionals
3. Our Mission: The Employment of Spacepower
4. How We Fit into the Joint Force: Providing Ready Forces
5. Reference for Military Space Operations Terminology
6. Appendix: History of Military Space Operations
7. Appendix: Glossary and References

Document Introduction

This report is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the latest version of "Spacepower Doctrine Publication 1: Spacepower" released by the United States Space Force on April 3, 2025. As the top-level foundational doctrine of the Space Force, this document systematically articulates for the first time its raison d'être, identity, core mission, and operational employment concepts as an independent military service, marking a new institutional phase in the U.S. military's process of militarizing and operationalizing space.

The document begins with a preface outlining six "undeniable truths" for the Space Force's existence, establishing the criticality of space capabilities to the Joint Force and the American way of life, the necessity of defending those capabilities, the duty to protect the Joint Force from space-enabled attacks, and explicitly stating that space is a "warfighting domain" rather than merely a collection of supporting activities. It further clarifies the Space Force's dual responsibility of "organizing, training, and equipping" and conducting operations as part of the Joint Force, emphasizing that "Guardians" are specially trained military personnel specializing in warfare in the space domain.

The main body of the report is structured around four core questions. Chapter One, "Why We Fight," starts with definitions of national spacepower and military spacepower, combining statutory responsibilities and mission statements to argue for the urgency of maintaining space superiority in an era of strategic competition. Among these, the concept of "Competition Endurance" is introduced as the core method for gaining space superiority during crisis or conflict while preserving long-term space security and stability, with its three principles being avoiding operational surprise, denying first-mover advantage, and conducting responsible counterspace operations.

Chapter Two, "Who We Are," delves into the personnel composition, values, and organizational structure of the Space Force. The document defines the "Guardian Ethos," highlighting its characteristics as "principled public servants," "warfighting professionals with a space mindset," and "bold, collaborative problem solvers." Regarding organizational structure, the document details the Space Force's streamlined functional architecture, including the distinction between institutional and operational forces, the command hierarchy from Headquarters, Field Commands, Deltas, Squadrons to Detachments, and explains relationships with the Air Force, other government agencies, allies, and commercial partners.

Chapter Three, "Our Mission," systematically discusses the employment of spacepower. The document divides the space operational domain into three orbital regimes: Earth-Centered Orbits, Cislunar Space, and Heliocentric Orbits. It defines three core functions: Space Control, Global Mission Operations, and Space Access, along with four enabling enterprise functions: Intelligence, Cyberspace Operations, Command and Control, and Space Domain Awareness. This chapter also provides a professional exposition on space system architecture (orbital, ground, and link segments) and the principles and philosophy of spacepower command and control (e.g., mission command).

Chapter Four, "How We Fit into the Joint Force," focuses on integration mechanisms at the operational level. The document details the model for the Space Force to provide ready forces to Combatant Commands, including command relationships such as the Space Force Service Component Commander, Service Component Field Commands, and Space Task Forces, as well as combat formations like Operational Deltas, Operational Squadrons, and Operational Detachments. The "Space Force Generation" model, as the core mechanism for managing the force readiness cycle and ensuring sustained readiness, is also clearly defined in this chapter, outlining its three-phase process: Prepare, Ready, and Commit.

This analytical report is strictly based on the original doctrinal text. It aims to provide defense strategy researchers, military analysts, international security scholars, and policymakers with first-hand authoritative interpretation regarding the evolution of U.S. military space warfare concepts, organizational architecture, and capability development directions. It serves as an indispensable reference for understanding current and future trends in space militarization and the dynamics of great power competition in space.