US Space Force begins first national security mission amid coronavirus outbreak

Washington : The United States Space Force started its first national security mission on scheduled March 26, 2020 despite coronavirus outbreak in the nation. A hyper-secure military communications satellite has been successfully placed into orbit. 

The Lockheed Martin Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite was launched on the Atlas V551 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4:18 pm (2018 GMT). 

Lockheed Martin claimed that the satellite will help the US in creating a global, communicable, protected communications for tactical, command and tactical warfare operating on the ground, maritime and aerial platforms. It will be a lifeline for the US military force in nuclear warfare.

Interestingly, the whole mechanism has been designed in a way that it comes with a low probability of encryption, interception and detection, and is jammer-resistant and capable of penetrating electromagnetic interference caused by nuclear weapons.

What is US Space Force?

US President Donald Trump had announced the formation of US Space Force as a a new division of the US Army, which has been described as "separate but equal".

This will be the sixth service after the Army, Navy, Naval Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force.

It has been notified that the space force will be divided into three units. The space command will be headed by the most senior general to oversee combat operations.

The Space Development Agency will undertake the identification and development of new technologies.

The third unit is the Space Operations Force, formed based on the expertise of leaders and fighters.

Objectives

The purpose to establish space forces is to prove US dominance in the space. It will also prove its dominance among forces of China and Russia.