US Space Force

SpaceX carried out a launch from California on behalf of the US Space Force, with details of the payload kept secret as part of a classified military mission. The liftoff drew attention for its national security implications and for SpaceX's growing role in military space operations, with photos and video of the launch circulating widely.

The US Air Force secretary has acknowledged that the United States possesses weapons in space, a rare official confirmation of American offensive capabilities in orbit. The statement is drawing attention because US officials have historically avoided detailing space-based weaponry, and it lands amid growing concerns over military competition in orbit with rivals such as China and Russia.

SpaceX launched a classified US Space Force mission from California, then successfully landed the Falcon 9 booster at sea. The payloads and mission details remain undisclosed, in keeping with standard practice for national security launches. The flight adds to SpaceX's growing cadence of military missions and demonstrates the company's continued reusable-rocket operations from the West Coast.

The US Space Force is acquiring directed-energy laser systems to shoot down drones flying over Cape Canaveral, Florida, home to a major space launch complex. The weapons are intended to protect rockets, spacecraft and infrastructure from small unmanned aerial threats near the busy spaceport. Details on which systems will be fielded and when remain limited, but the move reflects growing concern about drone threats to critical launch sites.

The US Space Force has installed laser systems at Cape Canaveral following roughly 500 drone flights recorded at the port. The move points to growing concern over unmanned aircraft operating near sensitive launch and military facilities on Florida's Space Coast. Lasers are increasingly seen as a counter-drone option for protecting restricted airspace, and the deployment signals tighter security around America's busiest launch site.

The US Air Force has issued a formal directive requiring every Airman and Guardian to update their religious affiliation records to bring them in line with Department of Defense standards. The order affects all personnel across the Air Force and Space Force. The full scope of the change and how the updated data will be used has not been detailed in the reporting so far.

SpaceX launched a secretive mission for the US Space Force from California. Details about the payload and purpose have not been disclosed, consistent with classified military spaceflight. Photos released from the launch show the rocket lifting off from the West Coast, and the mission is drawing attention for the lack of public information about what was carried into orbit.