pThis meticulously researched master's thesis from a student at the Naval Postgraduate School, published in December 2019 and written prior to the formal establishment of United States Space Force, provides a thorough historical review of how the three major U.S. military branches--Army, Navy, and Air Force--have handled their responsibilities in the space domain. ppbrppThe author observes in his Abstract ppbrppThe concept of a Space Force has been debated in rooms at the Pentagon, on social media, and even as a potential series on Netflix, yet space operations have been an integral part of the U.S. armed forces for about 40 years. U.S. interest in space began as an urgent move to prove our nation's competitiveness during the Cold War. Today, the initiative to have a Space Force is rooted in the nationalism of President Donald Trump. The Space Policy Directive-4 signed by Trump is waiting for congressional approval, so a historical review of the role of space within the U.S. military i