Space Force releases long-term plan projecting significant growth in space assets, operations by 2040

By Jayden Hermitt, Staff Writer

May 18, 2026

The U.S. Space Force’s new Objective Force 2040 plan outlines a long-term vision to strengthen manpower, satellite operations, combat capabilities and training and simulation systems over the next 15 years.

Released by Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman at the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs on April 15, the 100-page document — titled Objective Force 2040 — details how the Service intends to evolve to meet future threats and mission demands.

A key component of the plan is personnel growth, with the Space Force aiming to expand its workforce of operators and engineers by an estimated 30 percent.

Alongside Objective Force 2040, the Space Force also published its Future Operating Environment report, which projects a dramatic expansion of space assets, including increasing the number of satellites in orbit from roughly 12,000 today to 60,000 by 2040.

The plan also emphasizes the development of more advanced offensive and defensive space warfare capabilities. These future concepts are expected to integrate orbital, electromagnetic and cyberspace operations with the intelligence, command and control and battle management functions needed to operate in contested environments.

In addition, the objective plan highlights the importance of strengthening mission areas such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, satellite communications, positioning, navigation and timing.

Training and simulation systems are another major focus. The Space Force plans to invest in more advanced simulators to prepare personnel for a range of missions, including training missile warning operators to better identify and respond to threats.

The objective plan underscores the importance of realistic training environments, noting that while combat experience is the most valuable form of readiness validation, true readiness requires training in specific environments and scenarios prior to real-world combat application.

The Objective Force plan states, “No assessment is more definitive than combat experience. In the absence of that, the Service is working to field live, virtual, and constructive training environments.”