Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing May 20, 2026. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Chad Trujillo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force plans to add 2,800 active-duty personnel and 2,000 civilian employees in fiscal year 2027 as it looks to nearly double the size of the service by the end of the decade, the service’s top officer told lawmakers this week.
Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said the personnel increase is intended to put the service on a path from roughly 10,000 active-duty Guardians today to about 20,000 by 2030.
The expansion comes as the Pentagon sharply increases spending on military space programs, including missile defense satellites, launch systems, cyber protection and communications networks.
During Department of the Air Force posture hearings this week before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, lawmakers broadly backed the Space Force’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget of about $71 billion, more than double the enacted 2026 level. Some legislators questioned whether the personnel buildup could move even faster.
