President Donald Trump signed a directive Tuesday ordering the Department of Defense to create the Space Force a sixth branch of the military initially as part of the Air Force.
The directive orders the Pentagon to put together legislation to present to Congress to create the Space Force. It would operate under the umbrella of the Air Force, much the same way the Marines work within the Navy. It would be managed by an Air Force undersecretary for space and have representation on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Space, that’s the next step and we have to be prepared,” Trump said at the signing ceremony. “I think we’ll have great support from Congress.”
Funding for the Space Force will be included in Trump’s 2020 budget proposal. The president called for the creation of a Space Force in June. As way of preparation for the military branch, he ordered the establishment of the U.S. Space Command in December. The command was expected take on all the general responsibilities of a Unified Combatant Command, the space‑related responsibilities previously assigned to the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and the responsibilities of joint force provider and joint force trainer for Space Operations Forces.
Vice President Pence, speaking at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in December, said the command and Space Force would protect the United States from foreign weaponry. “For years, foreign nations have been developing electronic weapons to jam, blind, and disable satellites,” Pence said.
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