Space Force’s leader aims to debut future operating plans this year

Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman testifies during a budget hearing with the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee in Washington, D.C., June 26, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

By Thomas Novelly • Sep 25, 2025

A new Space Force planning document predicting future enemy trends through 2040, designed to help officials better acquire key technologies and prioritize missions, should be released later this year, the service’s top uniformed leader said Monday.

Strategists and analysts are prepping a document titled “The Future Operating Environment,” focusing on the emerging technology trends and national security threats in space, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said in a Tuesday speech at the Air & Space Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference. That guide will also show what service acquisitions officials should seek from defense contractors and will inform future exercises, wargames, and simulations for the service.

“A lot can change in 15 years, and I want to make sure there’s no stone unturned to make sure that we’ve at least captured what we see as the trends,” Saltzman told reporters during a media roundtable following his keynote. “We see this as a game changer.”