The Senate confirmed Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess to succeed retiring Gen. Chance Saltzman as Chief of Space Operations on Aug. 24, elevating the U.S. Space Force’s new top uniformed officer as the service navigates rapid growth and intensifying competition in orbit.
Schiess takes command of the nation’s youngest military branch — created in 2019 as the sixth armed service — at a time when the Space Force is planning significant expansion in personnel and mission scope, according to the service.
Saltzman led the Space Force through a formative period of organizational development and doctrinal definition, establishing the service’s operational concepts and force structure during its first years of existence.
The leadership transition comes as the Space Force becomes increasingly central to U.S. military operations. The service provides satellite communications, missile warning, GPS navigation and space domain awareness capabilities that underpin operations across all other military branches.
U.S.-China competition for strategic advantage in orbit has intensified, with China conducting anti-satellite weapons tests, deploying its own space station and expanding its military space capabilities. Russia has also demonstrated counter-space weapons and conducted provocative maneuvers near U.S. satellites.
Schiess’s confirmation was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee before advancing to a full Senate vote. No date for the formal change-of-command ceremony has been announced.
The Space Force remains the smallest military branch by personnel, with approximately 16,000 uniformed members and a growing civilian workforce. However, its budget and missions have expanded rapidly since its establishment, reflecting the growing strategic importance of the space domain.