Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess is slated to be the third chief of space operations, pending Senate approval, according to a nomination notice yesterday.

Schiess, who currently serves as deputy CSO for operations, would follow Gen. Chance Saltzman, who is set to finish his term as the top Space Force officer this year. 

Schiess was the first commander of Space Forces-Space, the service component within U.S. Space Command, serving from December 2023 until his appointment as deputy in November 2025.

Saltzman had also been deputy CSO for operations before he was confirmed as chief in November 2022.