Today’s Tidbits: July 21, 2020
Here are SpacePolicyOnline.com’s tidbits for July 21, 2020: new Air Force/Space Force Arctic strategy, Space Force getting 2,410 new members, people on the move. Be sure to check our website for feature stories and follow us on Twitter (@SpcPlcyOnline) for more news and live tweeting of events.
New Air Force/Space Force Arctic Strategy
The Department of the Air Force — which oversees both the Air Force and the new U.S. Space Force — released its new Arctic Strategy today. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond (who is also Commander of U.S. Space Command), discussed it at a virtual Atlantic Council event this afternoon.
“The strategy outlines the Department of the Air Force’s unique role and optimizes Air Force and Space Force capabilities for the region. The Arctic’s increasing strategic importance, coupled with the Services’ significant regional investment, requires the Department to have a unified, deliberate, and forward-looking approach, ensuring the Air and Space Forces can compete and defend the nation’s interests in the Arctic region.”
The connection to space activities may not be obvious, but Raymond explained that installations at Clear, Alaska and Thule, Greenland for ballistic missile warning also are used for space domain awareness (the new term of art at DOD for space situational awareness). It also will work as part of the Joint Force to develop an Arctic communications roadmap including satellite options.
In a section devoted to Space Capabilities, the strategy says “To operate effectively, the Space Force must overcome Arctic-unique orbital mechanics and electro-magnetic obstacles as well as rising threats from the United States’ principal competitors” and will —
- “work closely with allies, partners, and the private sector to establish mutually beneficial relationships that address common goals in space and the Arctic region.”
- “develop new technologies and modernize existing assets in the Arctic necessary to ensure access to and freedom to operate in space.”
- “devise capabilities to mitigate and predict environmental disturbances unique to the Arctic region.”
Space Force Getting 2,410 New Members
Speaking of the Space Force, it will grow by 2,410 new members on September 1.
On the day Space Force was created, December 20, 2019, 16,000 personnel from Air Force Space Command were ASSIGNED to the Space Force, but they must voluntarily TRANSFER to actually become members. The first two members of the Space Force were Gen. Jay Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, and Chief Master Sergeant Roger Towberman and they were joined by 86 new Air Force Academy graduates in April.
The Space Force announced on July 16 that it had selected 2,410 to serve in the “organic space specialties of space operations (13S) and space system operations (1C6).” More than 8,500 volunteered, but others were in specialties that are common to the Air Force and Space Force and will go through an additional selection process. Transfers into those specialties are expected to begin in February 2021.
People on the Move
- George Whitesides has a new job at Virgin Galactic — Chief Space Officer. For the past 10 years, he has been the company’s CEO, but is moving into a new role focused on future business opportunities including point-to-point hypersonic travel and orbital space travel. Succeeding him as CEO is Michael Colglazier from the Walt Disney Company where he most recently was President and Managing Director Disney Parks International. The change was effective yesterday.


- Caryn Schenewerk is the new Vice President, Regulatory and Government Affairs, for Relativity Space. Previously SpaceX’s senior counsel and senior director of space policy, Schenewerk said she is excited to join a company “that represents the next generation of innovative, high-tech launch capabilities.” Relativity is building the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket, Terran 1, that can be “built from raw material to flight in less than 60 days” at its Stargate factory.
Recently Published on SpacePolicyOnline.com
- UAE Mars Probe On Its Way
- What’s Happening in Space Policy July 19-25, 2020
- Rep. John Lewis, Space Station Savior, Passes Away
- NASA Targets August 2 for Demo-2 Return
- NASA IG Blasts NASA for Excluding $17.5 Billion from Orion Cost Estimate
- James Webb Space Telescope Slips Another 7 Months to October 2021
- Rogozin Not Interested in Cooperating with U.S. on Lunar Program Prefers China
- House Appropriators Criticize “Ominous” Shift in NASA Priorities — UPDATE
- House Appropriators Continue to Reject Elevating NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce to Department Level — UPDATE
- What’s Happening in Space Policy July 12-18, 2020
- NASA and Japan Sign “JEDI” Declaration on Future Space Cooperation
- Cantwell Opposes Jacobs Nomination After Release of Sharpiegate IG Report
- NASA Releases Interim Modernized Planetary Protection Guidelines
- House CJS Subcommittee Approves FY2021 Bill, But Not Without Dissent
- No 12 Percent Increase for NASA as House Appropriators Keep Agency at Current Funding Level
- What’s Happening in Space Policy July 5-11, 2020
- House and Senate Make Progress on the FY2021 NDAA
- Commerce IG Slams Department Officials for Sharpiegate, Congress Wants Answers — UPDATED
- Today’s Tidbits: June 30, 2020
- Mars Perseverance launch delayed to July 30; Russia to fly woman cosmonaut and allow space tourist to make a spacewalk; and people on the move.
This article has been updated.
User Comments
SpacePolicyOnline.com has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate. We do not post comments that include links to other websites since we have no control over that content nor can we verify the security of such links.