US Space Command (SPACECOM), the newest combatant command of the US military, is responsible for delivering space capabilities to joint and combined forces and protecting and defending the space domain.

SPACECOM more specifically oversees all operations 100km and more above mean sea level.

Established in its current form in 2019, Space Command was originally created in 1985 to provide joint command and control for all military forces in outer space and coordinate with the other combatant commands.

The command declared full operational capability last December.

SPACECOM, working with allies, "plans, executes, and integrates military spacepower into multi-domain global operations in order to deter aggression, defend national interests, and when necessary, defeat threats," according to its website.

US Space Force is the military service responsible for organizing, training and equipping the majority of personnel for SPACECOM, which also includes smaller numbers of personnel from the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

Space capabilities govern nearly all aspects of modern life from hundreds, or even thousands, of kilometers away.

Satellites enable vehicles to navigate, synchronize clocks across the globe, broadcast television, power the financial sector and let scientists monitor trends including desertification, sea-level rise and ice melt through real-time images.

Meanwhile, satellites are also critical for military applications, providing capabilities such as secure communication, global positioning, reconnaissance, surveillance and missile warning systems.

Integrated space operations

To better protect such capabilities, SPACECOM in February unveiled a new strategic vision.

The document outlined four priority objectives to be achieved by 2027: maximizing combat readiness, achieving and maintaining space superiority to counter threats, strengthening relationships with partners and expanding warfighter advantage.

"At end state, [SPACECOM] conducts dynamic, partnered, and integrated space operations and transregional missile defense support to enable Joint Force lethality and effectiveness while protecting it from space-enabled attack, extending our advantage over competitors, and successfully operating in the face of the threats arrayed against us through all levels of conflict to deter aggression and defeat adversaries," SPACECOM commander Gen. Stephen Whiting wrote.

"We have a moral responsibility to ensure delivery of space capabilities to the Joint Force, the Nation, and our Allies and to achieve space superiority in order to protect and defend our assets. Inherent in this is our responsibility to protect the Joint Force from space-enabled attack," he added.

"Our unwavering commitment to the citizens of the United States and our Allies remains, 'there will never be a day without space.'"