Between September 4 and September 12, 2025, a momentous event unfolded some 36,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface—a US-operated satellite performed a daring maneuver, closing in on SKYNET 5A, the United Kingdom’s military communications satellite. This wasn’t a routine check-in or a mere technical demonstration. It was the first-ever joint space military mission between the United States and the UK, a feat that marks a new chapter in allied defense cooperation far beyond Earth’s atmosphere, according to BBC and Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The operation, technically referred to as a Rendezvous Proximity Operation, required an extraordinary degree of precision. Both satellites were whizzing through space at roughly 11,000 kilometers per hour—about three kilometers per second. Imagine threading a needle, but the needle and the thread are both moving at thousands of kilometers per hour, and you’re doing it in the vast emptiness of space. That’s the level of complexity these military teams faced.
This historic maneuver didn’t happen in isolation. It was conducted under the banner of Multinational Force – Operation Olympic Defender, a coalition spearheaded by the US and supported by a cadre of allies: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and, of course, the UK. The operation’s success, officials say, is more than just a technical achievement; it’s a signal to the world that allied nations are now prepared to defend their interests in space with the same resolve that once protected the skies above London.
Major General Paul Tedman, Commander of UK Space Command, could hardly contain his pride in the accomplishment. "This operation was a first of its kind for UK Space Command and represents a significant increase in operational capability. Expertly executed with US Space Command, I could not be more pleased or proud of the rapid progress we are making with our allies in Multinational Force – Operation Olympic Defender. We are now, with our allies, conducting advanced orbital operations to protect and defend our shared national and military interests in space."
Lieutenant General Douglas Schiess, Commander of US Space Forces – Space and Combined Joint Force Component Command, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the strategic value: "This coordinated maneuver between two allies validated the interoperability that’s foundational to our collective defense. The confirmation of the MNF’s combined military might on-orbit delivers a credible deterrent in the increasingly contested space domain."
The timing of this joint operation is no coincidence. It came just days before Battle of Britain Day, observed on September 15, which commemorates the valiant defense of UK airspace in 1940. To underscore the enduring partnership, a memorial plaque was presented to the US Air Force in Arlington, Virginia, honoring ten Americans who flew with the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. From the dogfights over London to the silent ballet of satellites above Earth, the UK-US alliance has evolved but remains as vital as ever.
This leap forward in allied space defense comes at a time when the US Space Force is undergoing its own transformation. On September 20, 2025, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman discussed the service’s rapid growth and future direction with Air & Space Forces Magazine. "You don’t need a service unless you have to contest the domain," Saltzman said. "Somebody’s trying to prevent you from doing your mission actively, with technology and training, and they have their own theories of victory to stop you."
Saltzman, now nearly three years into his four-year term, reflected on the Space Force’s journey from a novelty to an essential pillar of US national security. As the service prepares for its seventh year as an independent branch in 2026, it’s poised to receive its largest budget ever, thanks to a recent reconciliation bill. The number of Guardians—Space Force personnel—is also set to hit an all-time high. In Saltzman’s own words, he’s “turning the Merchant Marines into the U.S. Navy.”
Why all this urgency? The answer, Saltzman says, lies in the growing threats from adversaries like China and Russia. China has invested in all six categories of counterspace capabilities, including kinetic kill weapons (think colliding satellites), radio frequency energy interference, and directed energy weapons such as lasers. Russia, meanwhile, is reportedly testing the ability to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite weapon in orbit. "The PRC has invested in all six categories of counterspace capabilities," Saltzman noted. "There are three from the ground and three on orbit; It’s kinetic kill capabilities, meaning two things are going to collide and hit one another and try to destroy it. There’s [radio frequency] energy interference. And then there’s directed energy weapons and lasers."
Saltzman recalled earlier days when the main threats to satellites were natural: space weather, solar activity, and gravitational forces. "When I learned to fly satellites, the biggest threat was the space environment," he said. "It’s a hostile place because of space weather, because of the sun, because of gravitational attractions pulling things apart. That was the threat. We didn’t talk about combat attrition. We didn’t talk about deliberate interference. We certainly didn’t talk about blowing up satellites." Now, those conversations are unavoidable.
To keep pace, the Space Force is not just expanding its budget and personnel—it’s also rethinking how it organizes itself. The service is adopting a part-time model, first with Reservists and soon transitioning Guardsmen from the Air National Guard to the Space Force on October 1, 2025. Air National Guardsmen have until September 19 to apply for full-time positions, while Air Force Reserve members have until October 10 to become the first part-time Guardians. But don’t expect to see part-time units; instead, part-time personnel will augment full-time units as needed. "We are not going to have any part-time units. All Space Force units will be full-time units. But they will have part-time positions that augment them for various reasons," Saltzman explained.
Saltzman also highlighted the Space Force’s current reliance on the Air Force for support functions like contracting, but he’s open to reevaluating that structure as the service matures. "Right now, we don’t have contracting officers," he said. "Contracting is a very important function in capabilities delivery, and we use Air Force contracting. So, at some point, how important is it that we grow a separate career path that allows us to have our own organic contracting officers to do this work?" For now, scale allows the Space Force to lean on the Air Force, but as missions expand, that could change.
Personnel policies are also in flux. There’s a clear federal push to limit civilian hiring, but Saltzman noted there’s less resistance to adding active-duty members. The service is weighing whether to fill more positions with active-duty personnel or make a case for more civilian staff in the future. "We’re just evaluating," Saltzman said. "I think we’re OK right now, and we’ve got a growth plan that’s still in place."
Despite these growing pains, one thing is clear: the Space Force is here to stay. "Space is important to the military. Space is important to national security," Saltzman said. "And we have adversaries trying to take those capabilities away. Now you have a service focused on trying to maintain those advantages. It’s as simple as that. … Once we walk through that, nobody challenges the value proposition, like, ‘Oh, we don’t need that.’"
As the world’s oldest alliances extend their reach into the final frontier, the message is unmistakable: space is now a domain of both opportunity and conflict, and the US and its allies are determined not to be left behind.