Photo: USSF/John Ayre
Every time I have to write something about the Space Force (USSF), it makes me feel like I'm writing about Stargate Command. To me, these USSF guys seem to have the same aura of mystery and glamour surrounding them like George Hammond or Jack O'Neill - like they know some secret and are unwilling to share it.
The Space Force may have initially been the laughingstock of the world (see the namesake TV series to get what I mean), but they are taking their jobs very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that they're dreaming of hardware in their arsenal the likes of which the world has never seen.
At the end of last week, for instance, one of the military branch's units, the Space Operations Command, unveiled something it calls its first official painting. That's right, a painting, put together by an artist named Rick Herter.
Just like me, you might ask yourself why would the Space Force need an official painting. That would be because "for centuries, artists have depicted battles and war victories to inspire national pride and record momentous acts of courage," as the military says.
Just think about the Department of the Air Force Art Collection, which comprises thousands of works of art centered around American deeds of valor in conflict.
USSF has no battles and war victories to brag about. At least, it doesn't publicly have them, given "the highly classified nature of many space operations." But it still wanted to let the world know it was there, doing America's work in space, and this painting was the best way to do that.
The artwork depicts a space plane designed for combat beyond the borders of our planet. We get to see it floating in orbit with its upper payload bay doors open, ready to fire some kind of weapon at an enemy satellite. It doesn't do that just because, but in response to the enemy satellite trying to take out a friendly one.
A close look at the spaceplane seen in the painting makes it clear it was inspired by America's first such design, the X-20 Dyna Soar. In fact, secrecy about Space Force operations forced the artist to take inspiration from past hardware, and not present-day one.
Supposedly the painting, titled High Ground Intercept, is meant to show where the Space Force has been and where it is heading. And that can only mean one of two things: we either get a glimpse of missions already taking place in orbit, or a look at events that may become commonplace in the not-so-distant future.
USSF of course does not say which of the two possibilities is closest to the truth. It also didn't share info on what will happen to the painting now that we've all seen it.
At the end of last week, for instance, one of the military branch's units, the Space Operations Command, unveiled something it calls its first official painting. That's right, a painting, put together by an artist named Rick Herter.
Just like me, you might ask yourself why would the Space Force need an official painting. That would be because "for centuries, artists have depicted battles and war victories to inspire national pride and record momentous acts of courage," as the military says.
Just think about the Department of the Air Force Art Collection, which comprises thousands of works of art centered around American deeds of valor in conflict.
USSF has no battles and war victories to brag about. At least, it doesn't publicly have them, given "the highly classified nature of many space operations." But it still wanted to let the world know it was there, doing America's work in space, and this painting was the best way to do that.
The artwork depicts a space plane designed for combat beyond the borders of our planet. We get to see it floating in orbit with its upper payload bay doors open, ready to fire some kind of weapon at an enemy satellite. It doesn't do that just because, but in response to the enemy satellite trying to take out a friendly one.
A close look at the spaceplane seen in the painting makes it clear it was inspired by America's first such design, the X-20 Dyna Soar. In fact, secrecy about Space Force operations forced the artist to take inspiration from past hardware, and not present-day one.
Supposedly the painting, titled High Ground Intercept, is meant to show where the Space Force has been and where it is heading. And that can only mean one of two things: we either get a glimpse of missions already taking place in orbit, or a look at events that may become commonplace in the not-so-distant future.
USSF of course does not say which of the two possibilities is closest to the truth. It also didn't share info on what will happen to the painting now that we've all seen it.
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