It wasn’t too long ago that the idea of space was something of a dream or fantasy. Today, we continue the space race in many different ways, yet they are much more important to our everyday lives. From national defense to communication systems and even helping us predict the weather, these are but a few examples of why space is so important to the United States. But if there is an interest worth having, it will need to be defended. This is why the newest branch of the military, the U.S. Space Force, has such a critical role in the future of our country. Across many different bases in the U.S., including its headquarters at Los Angeles Air Force Base, the Space Systems Command (SSC) helps protect American interests in space. By ensuring that infrastructure is secure and that both commercial and militaristic goals are being fulfilled, the SSC’s emerging role is one of alignment and execution on behalf of the United States of America.

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Where Space Systems Command Is Located

The main headquarters of the Space Systems Command can be found at Los Angeles AFB. The SSC office address is 483 N. Aviation Blvd. El Segundo, CA 90245. Here are the following facilities in which the U.S. Space Command operates:

• Los Angeles AFB, CA
• Vandenberg SFB, CA
• Schriever SFB, CO
• Peterson SFB, CO
• Colorado Springs, CO
• Boulder, CO
• Buckley SFB, CO
• Kirtland AFB, NM
• Oahu, HI
• NASA Johnson Space Center, TX
• Hanscom AFB, MA
• Ft. Meade, MD
• Dahlgren, VA
• Patrick SFB, FL
• Ascension Island, a small British island halfway between Brazil and Africa

These are the geographical areas the SSC and Space Force use for acquisition, space development, launch, and logistics field command, as of now. However, it should be noted that the push by various companies in the private sector is also looking to fulfill the needs of space travel in the near future. A prime example of this can be found in the ambitions of Elon Musk and his company SpaceX. There are also trends, such as NASA looking to the private sector for a successor to the International Space Station, which point to more and more private companies providing solutions for space exploration and travel. This is important because it points to the possibility of SSC’s expansion of protecting places such as SpaceX Starbase located in Boca Chica, TX, not just Space Force bases and other government-backed facilities. Various projects continue to pop up in the private sector, all of which are involved in expanding American interest and involvement in space.

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How the USSF SSC Helps Protect and Serve America

The Space Systems Command is responsible for managing space launch sites belonging to the United States first and foremost. If you are going to get to space, you’re going to need to ensure that these sites are operated correctly and capable of being defended. Here’s how the SSC can help protect private companies and military operations going forward:

• Assured Access to Space (AATS)
• Battle Management Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3)
• Communications and Positioning, Navigation, & Timing (PNT)
• Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power
• Space Sensing

In addition to these Program Executive Offices, which handle everything from procurement to missile defense, the U.S. Space Command also helps facilitate a healthy ecosystem within the aerospace industry. This is maintained through the following endeavors:

• Connecting the private sector with government clients who can help bolster U.S. space capabilities through improved solutions.
• Integrating space systems that can work both together and independently to achieve goals through various operations.
• Fostering a healthy relationship with the international space community to better collaborate and facilitate deals for the advancement of American exploration and objectives.
• Combat readiness throughout each station for both operations and training purposes.

Space Systems Command Will Continue To Grow

The function of the SSC will only continue to seep into more and more operations as space exploration continues to rise and our communications continue to rely on space to thrive. Ongoing improvements and integrations of technology may help all of us do extraordinary things online, but they also pose more threats and challenges to keeping out those who wish to harm Americans. The Space Systems Command is part of growing efforts by the U.S. to ensure that our operations both in space and down here on the Earth are secure and operational.

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