Declaring space crucial to the nation's defense, President Trump said Thursday the Pentagon has established US Space Command to preserve American dominance on "the ultimate high ground." "This is a landmark day," Trump said in a Rose Garden ceremony, "one that recognizes the centrality of space to America's national security and defense." He said Space Command, headed by a four-star Air Force general, will "ensure that America's superiority in space is never questioned and never threatened." But there's still no Space Force, the AP reports. Space Force, which has become a reliable applause line for Trump at his campaign rallies, has yet to win final approval by Congress, though it has inched toward approval despite skepticism from some lawmakers of both parties. The House and Senate bills differ on some points, and an effort to reconcile the two will begin after Congress returns from its August recess.
The renewed focus on space as a military domain reflects concern about the vulnerability of US satellites, both military and commercial, that are critical to US interests and are potentially susceptible to disruption by Chinese and Russian anti-satellite weapons. The role of Space Command—which, Engadget points out, previously existed during the Cold War—is to conduct operations such as enabling satellite-based navigation and communications for troops and commanders in the field and providing warning of missile launches abroad. That is different from a Space Force, which would be a distinct military service like the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. When Jim Mattis was defense secretary, the Pentagon was hesitant to embrace the idea of a Space Force. Trump's first Pentagon chief initially saw it as potentially redundant and not the best use of defense dollars. His successor, Mark Esper, has cast himself as a strong supporter of creating both a Space Force and a command dedicated to space.
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