Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Space Force season 2.
Space Force season 2 ends similarly to how the movie Don't Look Up begins – with a gigantic celestial object headed straight for Earth. In fact, Space Force and Don't Look Up share highly similar overarching themes. Both sets of characters struggle to navigate the socio-political landscape and bureaucracies of modern society while trying to prevent impending disasters. During the finale of Space Force season 1, General Mark Naird (Steve Carrell) and his team prevented the deaths of American and Chinese soldiers on the moon. While the ending of Space Force season 2 wasn't as compellingly dramatic as when Naird defied orders to save lives, it culminates in a dilemma that's even more comparable to Don't Look Up.
In Space Force season 2, episode 7 “The Hack,” the agency's headquarters gets hacked by the Russians, threatening to bring down the American satellite Blue Oyster Cult over Russian territory and embarrass Space Force. After realizing that the hackers are listening in using Space Force's computers, the team puts on a performance to convince the hackers that Blue Oyster Cult is filled with an experimental fuel that would kill thousands upon impact, prompting the Russians to stop the hack, and allowing Captain Angela Ali (Tawny Newsome) to manually pilot the satellite back into orbit. Space Force convinces the current administration of the agency's merits, becomes part of the American Strategic Defense Plan, and gains exclusive access to the Hawaii telescope. Soon after, the team discovers a much bigger problem in the horizon: a giant asteroid is heading towards Earth.
Space Force season 3 will reveal whether or not the cast of Space Force will be able to fare better than the cast of Don't Look Up. Even after impressing the powers that be and securing new “friends in Washington,” Space Force will likely still struggle to get the budget allocation that the agency needs to respond to Earth's huge new problem. Thanks to the series format, Space Force season 3 will have even more time than Don't Look Up when it comes to dissecting the socio-political and cultural barriers that scientists need to break through in order to avert a world-ending disaster. Moreover, the unique insider perspective that Space Force provides gives it the opportunity to tackle what Don't Luck Up could not – the internal workings of the American military bureaucracy. Here's everything else that viewers need to know about the ending of Space Force season 2.
Space Force Agency & Every Character's Future In Season 3
Much like they did in all 7 episodes of Space Force season 2, it's safe to say that General Mark Naird and Dr. Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich) will continue to lead the agency, assisted by the ever-loyal General Brad Gregory (Don Lake). The newly promoted Major Angela Ali and Dr. Chan Kaifang (Jimmy O. Yang) are also bound to further explore their romantic relationship, egged on by Space Force head of PR F. Tony Scarapiducci (Ben Schwartz). Meanwhile, Maggie Naird (Lisa Kudrow) will either remain in prison or find some way to escape, possibly to be with her and Mark's daughter Erin Naird (Diana Silvers), who will be studying forestry in Colorado. Moreover, General Kick Grabaston's (Noah Emmerich) final words to Naird suggest that he'll be back to cause trouble in Space Force season 3, possibly aided by the new Secretary of Defense (Tim Meadows), whom Naird consistently fails to impress.
Some background characters could also get the chance to shine in Space Force season 3, especially since many of the side characters are veterans in the comedy scene. This includes Captain Lancaster (Patton Oswalt), whose chances of getting sent to Mars are even lower as the newly discovered asteroid is bound to eat up Space Force's budget. There's also the new yet-unnamed Air Force Chief (Terry Crews), who will either be an asset or an enemy to Space Force. Meanwhile, tradesmen and newly-minted astronauts Eddie (Chris Gethard) and Pella Bhat (Aparna Nancherla) are bound to resume their shenanigans amid Space Force's efforts to save the Earth from the asteroid.
Space Force Season 3's Story: Preventing The Asteroid From Hitting Earth
The story of Space Force season 3 will no doubt focus on how Naird's team can prevent the asteroid from hitting the planet and obliterating all life. This is the main reason why the ending of Space Force season 2 has been drawing comparisons to the apocalyptic events of Don't Look Up, in which the Earth was similarly threatened by a giant comet. However, unlike Don't Look Up in which practically the entire U.S. government is working against the scientists, the scientists in Space Force actually work for the U.S. government, and their struggles are more geared towards getting past the bureaucratic red tape that often prevents them from performing their sworn duties. While Don't Look Up is a condemnation of modern capitalist society and how social media has basically zombified the entire nation, Space Force season 3 is bound to continue exploring the same themes – but with the addition of diving deeper into the inner workings of the military industrial complex. Considering how Don't Look Up 2 is highly unlikely to be in the horizon – unless it's set in the post-apocalypse – Space Force season 3 could be the spiritual successor of Adam McKay's disaster movie satire.
Why Everyone Sings The Beach Boys' "Kokomo"
In the very last scene of Space Force season 2, after discovering the asteroid, the Space Force crew breaks out into singing an a capella version of the song “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys. This is a reference to the pilot episode of Space Force, in which Naird's behavior of singing to himself to relieve stress was first revealed. “Kokomo,” along with many of the other songs that General Naird sings to himself, aren't just for comic relief. They also help illustrate the stresses of managing billions of dollars worth of taxpayer-funded projects/equipment. As the Space Force crew sings “Kokomo” too, it's clear that everyone's lives, and not just Naird's job, are now on the line.
Will Erin Be In Space Force Season 3?
Space Force's last scenes include Erin deciding to stay in Colorado instead of moving to Portugal, which means that Erin will definitely be in the next season. Although Space Force's popularity can't compare to Don't Look Up's record-breaking Netflix viewership numbers, there's still a chance that the show could be renewed for the next season. When that happens, the soonest Space Force season 3 can arrive would be the first quarter of 2024. In Space Force season 3, Erin is bound to become a more valuable member of the team, and her new interest in forestry could later prove to be useful. That said, considering Mark and Maggie's divorce – combined with the stresses of a world-ending asteroid – there's also a chance that Erin could fall back into trying to be a teenage burnout.