US Space Force adopts ‘Semper Supra’ as official song

The U.S. Space Force has adopted an official song called “Semper Supra” and it’s named after the USSF motto, which is Latin for “Always Above.”

The space service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces was founded in 2019.



“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish a Space Force song that will be part of our culture and heritage for years to come,” Chief of Space Operations General John “Jay” Raymond said in a statement.

“We wanted a song that spoke to our guardians that brought to life our motto ‘Semper Supra, Always Above,’” he said as it was a collaborative effort.

U.S. Air Force veteran James Teachenor, a singer/songwriter formerly of the Air Force band in Colorado Springs, created the lyrics and melody. He was a prior member of the U.S. Air Force band at the Air Force Academy.

“It was quite a long work in progress for a while, because I wanted to make sure that everything that was in the song would adequately represent all the capabilities that our Space Force is involved with,” Teachenor said in a statement.

The musical arrangement was created by Shawn Nelson, a member of the Coast Guard Band in Connecticut. Hearing how the words, music and arrangement all came together, General Ray said, “I thought: ‘We’ve got something that we can be proud of.’”

Here are the official U.S. Space Force Song Semper Supra lyrics:

We’re the mighty watchful eye,

Guardians beyond the blue,

The invisible front line,

Warfighters brave and true.

Boldly reaching into space,

There’s no limit to our sky.

Standing guard both night and day,

We’re the Space Force from on high.

Listen to Semper Supra

The song was unveiled during the 2022 Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference at National Harbor Tuesday.

Kristi King

Kristi King is a veteran reporter who has been working in the WTOP newsroom since 1990. She covers everything from breaking news to consumer concerns and the latest medical developments.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up