Less than 10% of Americans know the Space Force exists. 

It’s a problem the Colorado Springs-based Space Force Association is tackling by starting chapters across the country to host events and educate school children, lawmakers and others about the youngest military branch and its mission, said Retired Col. Bill Woolf, the association’s CEO. 

The Space Force Association advocates for the Space Force and helps with some of its external challenges. Katharine Kelley, the Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations for human capital, acknowledged the awareness problem last year at an event, saying that less than 8% of the public knows about the Space Force, according to Air and Space Forces Magazine. 

When Woolf speaks to students, he tries to help them understand how satellites enable modern technology and how many times a day everyone interacts with space and the Space Force through their phones and other devices. 

He will ask young people questions like: “Did you check traffic? Did you check weather? Did you use Waze or Google Maps to get here today?”

To help his audiences understand: “You and I interact with space over 50 times a day, we just don’t realize it.”

The Space Force operates GPS satellites and some weather satellites that underpin navigation and weather apps ubiquitous in everyday life.

It’s a story Woolf is spreading across the country through 26 chapters. The association is aiming to start a chapter in every state. 

At almost 6 years old, the Space Force doesn’t have its own large pool of veterans to draw on to help with education, but a federal law passed last year allows the Space Force to recognize Air Force veterans who worked on space missions, such as flying GPS satellites or missile warning, as legacy guardians. It’s a step that helps build a cadre of educated, experienced people who can build awareness, Woolf said. 

“When I see someone walking down the street with an SFA or Space Force T-shirt on that isn’t near a Space Force Base, that’s what success looks like,” he said. 

The Space Force Association also recently signed a two-year agreement with the Space Foundation to work together on space awareness and bolster workforce development and education. Both groups are based in town and are facing similar national challenges.  

Earlier this year, a Space Foundation analysis showed 90% of space-focused companies said they were looking for workers, with 75% reporting they were having trouble finding new employees, said Rich Cooper, a spokesman for the Space Foundation. 

Woolf said one of the critical needs is creating a pipeline for young people who want a career in space. 

To help fill that need, the Space Force Association has started a Space Professional Society for college students that connects them with development opportunities, such as workshops and scholarships. 

The Space Foundation is working to spark interest in space careers by providing curriculum to teachers and organizing astronaut talks across the country, among other initiatives. 

Retired Navy Capt. Dominic Anthony “Tony” Antonelli, a former NASA astronaut, visited Colorado Springs District 11 classrooms last week as part of this push. In addition to encouraging students to pursue careers in space, he also tries to help everyone understand how lucky we are to live on Earth. 

When possible, he shares a photo of Earth taken by a Mars rover that shows Earth as just a star.

In that photo, “I feel like I can see 8 billion unique, beautiful individuals. … And I also feel like I can see nothing worth arguing about,” Antonelli said. 

When Woolf speaks to students, nearly all of them say they would travel on a rocket to space. As private-sector investments in space grow,  many more of them will have that opportunity than previous generations. 

To help support that growth, Woolf would like to see a lot more “on ramps” to keep kids engaged in space and proper financial support for the Space Force. 

“The entire space economy, though, is hinged on the support from the Space Force, ensuring that it does its job of providing freedom of action in, from, and to space,” he said.