The United States Space Force has announced a new series of mission naming conventions for future space weapons, which include gods, ghosts, and even monsters from ancient mythology.
Speaking to attendees at the third annual Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said the new space weapons naming conventions are intended to “conjure the character of the systems, the importance of their mission, and the identity of the Guardians who employ them.”
Although other branches of the U.S. military have longstanding conventions when it comes to mission and weapons naming protocols, the comparatively new Space Force hadn’t previously committed to a naming scheme since it was first established in 2019.
According to Gen Saltzman, the branch’s missions will fall into seven categories, each with its own naming convention. For example, orbital warfare systems will be named after gods and other noteworthy figures from the Norse pantheon, while cyber warfare weapons and systems will be named after mythological entities.
The other five mission profiles highlighted during the address include using snakes for electromagnetic warfare missions, sharks for navigation warfare, constellations for satellite communications, sentinels for missile warning systems, and ghosts for space domain awareness platforms.
“These include Norse Pantheon, representing the power and dominance of orbital warfare; mythological creatures, conjuring the cunning and adaptability of cyber warfare systems; constellations, reflecting the reach and enduring connection of satellite communications; and ghosts, evoking the silent presence of space domain awareness, just to name a few,” the space operations chief explained.
An unofficial Space Force Subreddit r/SpaceForce offered illustrations of the new naming conventions, and others were posted on DVIDS.
After announcing the space weapons naming conventions, Saltzman noted that two spacecraft have already received new names based on their operational “themes.”
The first is a communications satellite, initially named the Ultra-High Frequency Follow-On system. Under the new system, which designates these types of space weapons by constellation names, this satellite has been renamed ‘Ursa Major.’
“The Big Dipper—as you all know, part of the Ursa Major constellation—famously points to Polaris, our north star, always linking us to our most important missions,” Saltzman said of the intention behind the satellite’s new name.
A second space weapons system employed by the Space Force’s 1st Space Operations Squadron (1 SOPS) to track satellites in high orbits has also been renamed Bifrost after the fiery rainbow bridge from Norse mythology connecting Asgard to Midgard, also known as Earth.
“Bifrost is a bridge between Earth and the realm of the gods, just as the Bifrost system in low Earth orbit bridges the divide between the Earth and the higher geostationary orbit of the other 1 SOPS systems,” Saltzman explained.
During the same speech, the Space Force chief noted that the naming scheme comes as the six-year-old military branch has been shifting its mission objectives and training regimen from Space Operations Command to Combat Forces Command. Saltzman said these changes have made the organization’s combat forces “better prepared, fully integrated, and ready to respond to any threats to our mission.” Saltzman also said the names are designed to distinguish the sixth branch of the US military from the other five longstanding branches by better aligning with their mission objectives.
“These symbols conjure the character of the systems, the importance of their mission, and the identity of the Guardians who employ them,” the General explained.
In his concluding remarks, the Space Force chief noted that although their work can “sometimes feel invisible,” due to the newness of the mission and its often highly classified nature, the Guardians should continue to educate the public on the critical work they do, sometimes thousands of miles from Earth.
“We provide vital capabilities that enable our security and our way of life,” Saltzman said, adding that “the nation is counting on us.”
“It’s clear that the U.S. Space Force is not just a participant in the joint fight,” he concluded. “We are vital to our nation’s security, and essential to the American way of life.”
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.