DoD Directive 3100.10 “Space Policy” establishes policy and assigns responsibilities for Department of Defense space-related activities. This directive, issued on August 30, 2022 and updated on October 15, 2024, provides comprehensive guidance on how the DoD will approach space as a warfighting domain critical to national security.
The directive recognizes space as a priority domain of national military power that underpins multi-domain joint and combined military operations. It emphasizes the need to strengthen the safety, security, stability, sustainability, and accessibility of the space domain while preserving access and freedom to operate in space. A key focus is on protecting and defending the use of space for U.S. national security purposes, the U.S. economy, and allies and partners.
To achieve these goals, the directive outlines several key policy objectives:
- Conducting operations in, from, and to space to deliver advanced space capabilities that deter conflict and, if deterrence fails, counter and defeat aggression.
- Promoting long-term sustainability of the space environment through cooperation with international partners to establish norms of safe and responsible behavior.
- Enhancing the partnership between the DoD and Intelligence Community to increase unity of effort in space operations.
- Strengthening space-related alliances and building new partnerships to provide strategic advantages.
- Leveraging and promoting a thriving domestic civil and commercial space industry.
- Transforming the DoD space enterprise to adapt to rapid changes in the strategic environment.
The directive assigns specific responsibilities to key DoD leadership positions and components. For example, it designates the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy as the lead for forming and coordinating space-related national security and defense policy. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy is tasked with developing, coordinating, and monitoring implementation of overarching DoD space policy.
Importantly, the directive outlines the roles of the newly established U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. The Space Force is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces, while Space Command conducts space operations and delivers space capabilities to joint and combined forces.
The document also emphasizes the importance of integrating space capabilities across all aspects of military planning and operations. This includes incorporating space into national, joint, and combined operations; developing space expertise and doctrine; and enhancing intelligence and space domain awareness capabilities.
Cooperation with allies, partners, and the commercial space sector is a recurring theme throughout the directive. It calls for expanding defense collaboration on space security matters, integrating allies and partners into plans and operations, and leveraging commercial space innovations.
U.S. Space Force: A New Military Service
The U.S. Space Force, established in December 2019, is the newest branch of the U.S. military. As outlined in DoD Directive 3100.10, the USSF is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping space forces to:
- Provide freedom of operation for the United States in, from, and to space
- Conduct space operations
- Protect U.S. interests in space
The Chief of Space Operations (CSO) of the USSF, serving under the Secretary of the Air Force, has been designated as:
- The force design architect for space systems and programs across all military services
- The integrator for DoD’s Joint Space Requirements
- A member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Space Acquisition Council
These roles emphasize the USSF’s central position in shaping the future of military space capabilities across the entire Department of Defense.
U.S. Space Command: Operational Leadership
While the USSF focuses on organizing, training, and equipping space forces, USSPACECOM serves as the unified combatant command responsible for military space operations. Key responsibilities of the Commander, USSPACECOM include:
- Executing space-related responsibilities assigned in the Unified Command Plan
- Working jointly with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to protect U.S. military and intelligence space assets
- Synchronizing global offensive and defensive space operations
- Serving as the lead for strategic space messaging coordination
- Acting as the joint lead for integrating and synchronizing space training and education
USSPACECOM plays a crucial role in coordinating space activities across all combatant commands, ensuring that space capabilities are effectively integrated into joint military operations.
Integrating Space Across the DoD
The directive emphasizes the importance of integrating space capabilities throughout the Department of Defense. This includes:
- Incorporating space into national, joint, and combined operations
- Developing military space expertise, doctrine, and operational concepts
- Enhancing intelligence, space domain awareness, and command and control capabilities
- Expanding defense collaboration with allies and partners on space security matters
Space Policy and Strategy
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy (ASD(SP)) plays a crucial role in developing, coordinating, and monitoring the implementation of DoD space policy. This includes:
- Formulating policy on space forces, systems, and their employment
- Overseeing the implementation of DoD strategy and plans related to space activities
- Leading the development of strategic messaging for DoD space activities
Challenges and Future Directions
As the DoD continues to adapt to the evolving space domain, several key challenges and focus areas emerge:
- Strengthening the safety, security, and sustainability of the space domain
- Developing capabilities to counter hostile uses of space and protect U.S. space assets
- Enhancing cooperation with allies, partners, and the commercial space sector
- Improving space-related acquisition processes to deliver new capabilities more rapidly
- Integrating space operations with multi-domain joint and combined military operations
The establishment of the USSF and USSPACECOM, along with the comprehensive policy framework outlined in DoD Directive 3100.10, demonstrates the United States’ commitment to maintaining its strategic advantage in space. As space continues to grow in importance for national security, economic prosperity, and scientific advancement, these organizations will play key roles in shaping the future of U.S. military space operations and protecting American interests in this essential domain.
