Major General Tedman Takes Over at UK Space Command as AM Godfrey Moves to US Space Force

An important change in UK – U.S. military space relations is underway. Air Marshall Paul Godfrey has left UK Space Command for a secondment in the United States. He will now be Assistant Chief of Space Operations for Future Concepts and Partnerships at U.S. Space Force. AM Godfrey initially took up the American position on 17th June 2024. He had been slated to take up the post of Director Capability at Strategic Command, according to the Senior Appointments page on the RAF website. Replacing AM Godfrey is Major General Paul Tedman.

Major General Paul Tedman has been co-leading Space Command since 16th May 2024. For the last two years, he had been Deputy Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J5) with U.S. Space Command.

A new chapter for UK Space Command

Major General Tedman becomes the second commander of UK Space Command, as AM Godfrey had been the founding commander. The major general brings with him a depth of cooperation given his own secondment with U.S. Space Force. He said: “I am delighted to have been selected to take command of UK Space Command and to lead our joint space forces.  It’s always a privilege to command but to do so in such an important domain, with such brilliant people, at such a crucial time, is very exciting.”

The changes come at a time when the U.S. is working toward ever-tighter support from the international space community in both military and civilian realms. Along with the UK-U.S. military space cooperation, there are the American-led Artemis Accords establishing norms for countries’ operations in space. At the time of writing, the accords have 43 countries as signatories.

At the same time, tensions are mounting with the Russian RESURS-P1 satellite breaking up under still-unclear circumstances in the orbit of the International Space Station and growing concerns over Russia’s self-proclaimed nuclear anti-satellite program gaining speed. The anti-satellite concerns have peaked several times in 2024, with U.S. senators calling for the release of more information to the general population and a U.N. Security Council resolution updating the 1960’s era agreement on not using nuclear weapons in space being vetoed by Russia (China abstained).