Difference Between SpaceX and Space Force (With Table)

SpaceX is a private aerospace and communication company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk. The company’s headquarter is situated in Hawthorne, California, United States. Space Exploration and Technologies Corp. are brands named SpaceX, which was founded to achieve the goal of colonizing Mars with reduced transportation costs. Its manufacturing facility manufactures heavy launch vehicles like Falcon 9, some of the rocket engines, etc.

The Space Force is the military service branch of the armed forces of respective nations, hence not an independent industry. The Space Force is founded to ease out the process of outer space military operations and space warfare. It can be combined with air forces such as in many developing countries or independent defence agencies like Indian Defense Space Agency.

Comparison Table Between SpaceX and Space Force

What is SpaceX?

SpaceX is a private aerospace and communication company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk. The company’s headquarter is situated in Hawthorne, California, United States.

Space Exploration and Technologies Corp. are a brand named SpaceX. It was founded to achieve the goal of colonizing Mars with reduced transportation costs.

Its manufacturing facility manufactures heavy launch vehicles like Falcon 9, some of the rocket engines, Cargo Dragon, also crew spacecraft and Starlink communication satellites for space communication.

The first launch vehicle of SpaceX Falcon 1 was an expandable, small-lift launch vehicle. It was developed under private funding of 90 million Us dollars. The other Launch vehicle Falcon 5, with an intermediate capacity of the Falcon 1, was built in 2005. Also, in 2009, a reusable heavier lift vehicle was built under the name Falcon 9.

The first operational Dragon Spacecraft was launched in 2010 aboard COTS Demo Flight 1. In 2011 it started its Commercial Crew Development ( CCDev ) program. Also, in 2012 tested reusability test programs.

After this, it completed many commercial launches and became the leading commercial launch provider globally in 2017. Currently, it is working on Starship, Starlink and first crewed launches.

What is Space Force?

The Space Force is the military service branch of the armed forces of respective nations, hence not an independent industry. The Space Force is founded to ease out the process of outer space military operations and space warfare.

Russian Space Forces are the first Space Force to be established in the world in 1992 as independent military service. But it lost its independence after merging with Strategic Rocket Forces from 1997 to 2001 and later in the Russian Air Force in 2015. 

The Chinese CPLASSF has many aspects of cyber force but is also considered as a Space Force in some situations. The newly established United States Space Force, founded in 2019, is the only independent Space Force in the world.

Nations with small or developing Space Forces are merging the Space Force unit with the air force unit under a single military branch. The developing space forces such as Russian AeroSpace or Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps AeroSpace Force follow a hybrid of air and space force. Also, the French Air and Space Force does not identify the space force as an independent force.

While some countries are putting them as independent defence agencies, such as the Indian Defense Space Agency.

While these Space Forces operate on space commands provided by COMAE of Brazil, NORAD OF Canada and USA, CDE of France, DSA of India, COS of Italy, SOS of Japan, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, CONIDA of Peru, KV of Russia, ADD of South Korea, UKSC of UK and USSPACECOM of USA.

Main Differences Between SpaceX and Space Force

1. SpaceX is a type of private aerospace and communication industry, while the Space Force is part of the military branch of the armed forces of respective countries.
2. SpaceX gained success in NASA and Dragon contracts, Commercial launches, global commercial launch provider, starship, Starlink and first, crewed launches. The Space Force has applications in many types of satellites, such as earth observation, spy, communication, and the military. Provide satellite navigation, space tourism, space exploration, etc.
3. SpaceX mainly prefers the orbital type of spaceflights, while Space Force launches sub-orbital, orbital, interplanetary, interstellar, intergalactic space flights.
4. SpaceX has successful space crafts such as launch vehicles Falcon1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, autonomous spaceport drone ships, Dragon spacecraft, starship. The Space Force has robotic spacecraft, including satellites, space probes, and cargo spacecraft. Also, human space flights include space capsules, space stations, spaceplanes.
5. SpaceX has a goal of colonizing Mars with reduced transportation cost, while Space Force is built for outer space military operations and space warfare.

Conclusion

Space X is an independent, private company that handles various orbital commercial launches. While Space Force is a military branch of the respective nation fully or partially controlled by the government. Most of the countries identify Space Force as a part of their Air Force.

SpaceX and Space Force are associations that are built for different purposes. Space X is a private company providing cost-friendly commercial launches. While Space has a military purpose regarding defence and security concerns of the respective nations.

References

1. https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-report/future-space 
2. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/uhawlr42&section=18