WASHINGTON — Gen. Chance Saltzman in his final public address as chief of the U.S. Space Force warned that a conflict extending into orbit would expose the satellites of every nation, arguing that the best way to deter such a war is to build military forces capable of fighting and prevailing in space.
“Whether we want to be in the combat zone or not, orbital mechanics will put all of our space capabilities in a space war zone,” Saltzman said July 15 at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference in London. “We will share the consequences. Therefore, we should share the responsibility for a safe, secure, and stable space domain.”
The address amounted to a strategic summation of Saltzman’s nearly four years leading the military’s newest service. During his tenure, the Space Force moved beyond its early struggle to establish an identity separate from the Air Force and concentrated more explicitly on preparing for combat against China and Russia.
Saltzman, who plans to retire next month after a 35-year military career, became the second chief of space operations in November 2022, when the Space Force was less than three years old. The service was still widely viewed as the organization responsible for providing communications, navigation, missile warning and other support to forces fighting on Earth.
