The United States Space Force was established on December 20, 2019. It is the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, established on this date by the National Defense Authorization Act., creating the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years. The establishment of the USSF resulted from widespread recognition that Space was a national security imperative. When combined with the growing threat posed by near-peer competitors in space,it became clear there was a need for a military service focused solely on pursuing superiority in the space domain.