USSF National Exam Study Guide 2026

This flashcard set covers key concepts, dates, figures, and details from the USSF National Exam Study Guide for 2026.

USSF Birthday

20 December 2019

5 I’s of i5 Space

Innovate, Inform, Influence, Impact, Inspire

4 C’s of the USSF

Character, Connection, Commitment, Courage

Combat Forces Command

Located at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado (was SPOC)

Space Systems Command (SSC)

Located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California

Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM)

Located at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida

USSF Command Hierarchy

Field Command, Delta, Squadron

USSF Motto

Semper Supra, meaning 'Always Above'.

USSF Mission Statement

Secure our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space.

Civilian Companies Contracted by USSF

SpaceX, Boeing, NASA, BlueOrigin, GE Aerospace, Honeywell

First i5 ROTC Squadron

Purdue University

Squadron Namesake

Capt Charles 'Pete' Conrad Jr.

William Hale's Contribution to Rocketry

Improved rocket accuracy with Spin Stabilization.

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

Known as the 'Father of Modern Astronautics'.

Robert Goddard

Known as the 'Father of Modern Rocketry'.

Hermann Oberth

Wrote a book on space travel by rocket, inspiring the V-2.

Operation Paperclip

Utilized German scientists for U.S. development post-WW2.

Thermonuclear Warhead

Led to the development of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).

Space Race

Competition between USSR and USA during the Cold War.

Sputnik

First artificial satellite in orbit, launched by the Soviets in 1957.

NASA

Created in response to rapid USSR advancements during the Space Race.

Yuri Gagarin

The first person in space and to orbit Earth.

Wernher von Braun

Prominent figure of the U.S. Space Program.

Alan Shepard

The first American in space.

John Glenn

The first American to orbit Earth.

Apollo 11 Mission

Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon in 1969.

Corona Program

Run by NRO to take imagery intelligence (IMINT) on Soviets.

First Chief of Space Operations

General John 'Jay' W. Raymond.

Kennedy's Moon Landing Goal

Promised by President John F. Kennedy.

Gulf War

First conflict where space-based technology played a significant role.

NRO

National Reconnaissance Office.

Explorer 1

First U.S. artificial satellite, launched in 1958.

Luna 2

First man-made object on the Moon, launched by the Soviet Union in 1959.

Vostok 1

Spacecraft on which Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth in 1961.

Valentina Tereshkova

First woman to travel to space in 1963.

Gemini Project

Initiated by Kennedy to land on the Moon.

Alexei Leonov

First person to perform a space walk in 1965.

Space Shuttle Challenger

Exploded in 1986, ending a period of reusable shuttles.

Columbia Disaster

Struck in 2003, killing all seven crew members.

USSF Establishment

Established in 2019.

i5 Space Founding Year

Founded in 2021.

Delta 13

Focuses on education including officer accessions and advanced training.

Delta 12

Responsible for evaluating USSF space capabilities.

Delta 11

Focuses on threat-informed training and test environments.

Delta 10

Involved in doctrine and wargaming.

Delta 9

Covers mission-critical orbital warfare.

Delta 8

Handles protected and assured military satellite communications.

Delta 2

Space Domain Awareness, historically significant from the mid-1940s.