The United States Space Force touched down at the Ogden College Hall on WKU’s campus on Friday to showcase a promotional film designed for planetariums. 

Chief of space operations for the Space Force and Bowling Green resident growing up, Gen. Chance Saltzman came specially to the promotional event. Saltzman served 30 years in the United States Air Force before moving to the Space Force branch. 

“Being a chief of a new service in the Department of War is a daunting proposition, and so to think some kid from Kentucky grew up to take on that responsibility is a little humbling,” Saltzman said. 

The film was shown to attendees at Hardin Planetarium followed by a panel discussion.  Journalists and reporters were not allowed in to the discussion.

The Space Force focuses its efforts on securing space from international threats, separate from NASA, which focuses on the exploration and development of space. The Space Force protects the satellites that give us global positioning systems, the internet and advanced communication systems. 

“Unfortunately, over the last decade or so, it’s become apparent that we can’t just expect that space operations continue without other countries trying to take it away from us,” Saltzman said. 

This security can come in the form of securing networks from cyber threats and defending American satellites from missile strikes. Saltzman gave examples of Russian and Chinese missile strikes destroying their own satellites to “prove that they could, at a time and place of their choosing, try to take out one of our satellites. 

The event also featured two high-ranking officials in the United States Space Force. Brig. Gen. in the United States Space Force, assistant deputy chief of space operations and former NASA astronaut who completed two missions to the International Space Station, Nick Hague was in attendance at the event. The promotional event also had John Bentivegna, Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force. 

Currently, the Space Force is “focused on growth,” Bentivegna said. 

“We are about 11,000 uniformed guardians right now in fiscal year 2026; we’d like to grow to about 25,000 over the next five to seven years,” Bentivegna said. 

The film, produced by the United States Space Force, runs 12 minutes in length and is designed to be played within planetariums detailing the responsibilities of the Space Force. This is set to be played at many planetariums across the country as a recruitment encouragement campaign.