Our mission is to defend our nation and its freedom to operate in space. With a singular focus on this domain, we train, equip and deploy forces to improve defense technology, global security, communication and provide independent options to achieve national objectives by applying military spacepower.

To join the Space Force, review our basic qualifications and following steps.

General Enlistment

Basic requirements:

• Be 17–39 years of age.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Have a high school diploma, GED with 15 college credits or GED.

APTITUDE TESTING
You must take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, which covers four critical areas to our mission: arithmetic reasoning, mathematics knowledge, word knowledge and paragraph comprehension. This helps determine your ability to withstand demands and your strengths to find your best-suited career path.

APPLICATION
Once you successfully complete the ASVAB, you’ll be eligible to apply and complete your application through a local recruitment station.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SCREENING
You’ll be assessed for your moral and physical standards as set by federal law, the Space Force and Department of Defense. During the process, you’ll be assigned a job counselor to take you through your career options based on your scores and qualifications.

BMT PREPARATION
After passing the necessary requirements, you’ll be placed in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), where you wait to be selected and entered into Basic Military Training. It’s best to work on physical conditioning to prepare.

Officer

There are three paths to become a U.S. Space Force Officer, each with basic qualifications to apply and tests to complete.

Basic requirements:

• Be 18–39 years of age. Please note the age requirement cutoff for joining via the U.S. Air Force Academy is 23 years of age.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Have a college or postgraduate degree (for Officer Training School).

To join as an officer, you must attend Officer Training School, Air Force ROTC or the Air Force Academy after completing college or a postgraduate degree and the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT).

U.S. Air Force Academy is intense and competitive, offering a top-of-the-line education. If accepted, you receive fully paid tuition, free room and board, medical care and a monthly cash stipend for your service.

If you’ve already enlisted and seek to become an officer, you must receive your unit commander’s recommendation.

Apply for AFROTC:

The Air Force ROTC offers specific scholarships for prospective Guardians. To learn more and apply, visit the ROTC scholarship page. The scholarship application window will be open July 1, 2022 through January 12, 2023. Scholarships are available for high school students, current college students, and enlisted servicemembers. Please indicate your interest in the Space Force when applying.

Requirements:

• Be 18–39 years of age.
• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Your unit commander’s recommendation if already enlisted

APTITUDE TESTING
To be a Space Force officer, you must pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT). This covers a wealth of topics, including verbal and math skills, and can only be taken twice.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL SCREENING
Whether active duty or enlisted, you must obtain an AF Form 422, Notification of Air Force Member’s Qualification Status, with an eligibility statement to assess your mental and physical standards. All others enlisted can apply through officer accession recruiters.

OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL SELECTION BOARD
The Officer Training School Selection Board reviews every application objectively and subjectively, determining if you’re a proper fit.

PREPARING FOR OFFICER TRAINING
Once you’re notified, selected and have completed any additional requirements, you’re assigned to the next available Basic Officer Training class. As you await departure for Basic Officer Training, it’s best to prepare your physical conditioning for its demands.

Join as a Civilian

The Space Force offers dozens of roles in the fields of technology, science, aerospace and engineering to spark new innovations in defense and space operation. To learn more about openings, visit the Air Force Civilian Service’s Space Force Careers page.

Guardians attend the same Basic Military Training as enlisted Airmen with the addition of a Space Force–specific curriculum. That curriculum includes 21 hours of instruction that covers emotional intelligence, Space Force structure, and senior leader briefings about military doctrine.

Space Force offers various careers (both enlisted and officer level and civilian) across intelligence, analytics, cybersecurity, operations, engineering and acquisitions. All careers center around developing, operating, and defending our advancements through space.

For more information, visit our Careers page.

Both organizations work to improve our capabilities in space but with different directives. NASA is a civil agency that focuses on developing resources for education, exploration, supervision and research, while Space Force is a military service centered around the vital capabilities needed to defend the United States’ interests and freedom to operate in space.