United States Space Force

Space Corps proposal

In 2000, Donald Rumsfeld led a Congressional directed commission on national security space management and organization that recommended a number of reforms including an internal reorganization of the United States Air Force (USAF) to consolidate the space-related activities of the Department of Defense (DoD)—policy, acquisition, and operations—under the Undersecretary of the Air Force, who would act as the Department’s Executive Agent for Space.^[4] Implementation of the reforms recommended by the Commission by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld were not completed due to a number of factors including the September 11 attacks and advent of the Iraq War.^[5]

In 2017, a "United States Space Corps" was proposed as the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces that would absorb the United States Air Force's space warfare mission, which is currently conducted by Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). Many current and former Air Force, military, and space professionals are opposed to the measure, stating that such a proposal will not address acquisition issues, will derail integration between space and other military domains, and cause additional unnecessary bureaucracy that could make acquisition and budget problems worse, rather than better. Rather, they propose giving space more autonomy in the Air Force and creating a Rapid Capabilities Office dedicated to space acquisition.^[6][7]

In June 2017, the United States House Committee on Armed Services (HASC) voted to include language creating the U.S. Space Corps in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.^[8] The new service would be administered by the United States Secretary of the Air Force, much as how the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy, and guarantee it an equal seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.^[9] A provision in the House version of the 2018 U.S. defense budget requested the creation of the Space Corps.^[9] The top Republican and Democrat on the strategic forces subcommittee, Reps. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Jim Cooper (D-TN), are leading this effort. Some members of the House Armed Services Committee, including Reps. Martha McSally (R-AZ), a retired Air Force colonel, and Mike Turner (R-OH) expressed concern that this proposal did not have any hearings or studies on it, and just heard about the proposal during the markup session.^[10][11] United States Senate Committee on Armed Services members Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John McCain (R-AZ), a former Naval Aviator, and Bill Nelson (D-FL), a retired Army Captain and Astronaut, expressed skepticism and opposition regarding the need for the creation of the Space Corps. Senator Nelson introduced an amendment to ban the creation of the Space Corps or any other similar service, which was passed by the Senate.^{[12][13][14][15]}

The establishment of a space branch was opposed by the DoD, USAF, AFSPC, U.S. Strategic Command, and military leaders such as Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul J. Selva, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force General David L. Goldfein, the current commander of U.S. Strategic Command, General John E. Hyten, and the current commander of Air Force Space Command General John W. Raymond.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21]} Other former military and space leaders in opposition to this effort include Secretary Ash Carter, former Secretary of Defense; Secretary Sean O'Keefe, former United States Secretary of the Navy and NASA Administrator; Secretary Deborah Lee James, former Secretary of the Air Force; Secretary Michael B. Donley, former Secretary of the Air Force; Secretary Lisa Disbrow, former United States Under Secretary of the Air Force; General C. Robert Kehler, former commander of United States Strategic Command and former commander of Air Force Space Command; General Victor E. Renuart Jr., former commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD); and Lieutenant General Edward G. Anderson III, former deputy commander of United States Northern Command and NORAD.^{[22][23][24][25]} The former commander of Air Force Space Command, General Lance W. Lord, is supportive of the effort, on the condition that the Army's and Navy's space programs are absorbed into the new Space Corps.^[26]

The specific language in the House bill authorizing the creation of the Space Corps was in H.R. 2810 Title XVI, Subtitle A, section 1601, §8091.^[27] The idea of a separate Space Corps was killed in conference. Instead, the 2018 NDAA boosted the position of Air Force Space Command by extending the term of its commander to six years, and making it the sole command for all Air Force space forces.^[28][29]

Space Force proposal

President Trump holds up Space Policy Directive-3 at the White House on June 18, 2018

President Donald Trump first suggested a Space Force during a speech in March 2018: "We're doing a tremendous amount of work in space — I said, maybe we need a new force. We'll call it the Space Force."^[30] In a meeting with the newly revived National Space Council, he signed Space Policy Directive-3 (SPD-3) on June 18, which implements a framework for space traffic management. A widely reported development from the meeting was his call for a Space Force, which is not mentioned in SPD-3.^[31] Before signing it, he directed the DoD and The Pentagon "to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces" that would be "separate but equal" from the Air Force.^[32] He asked General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to undertake that assignment.^[32] The president announced this proposal, in part, due to his feeling that the DoD had been spurning his earlier public suggestions to create a space force. The DoD was surprised by his announcement.^[33][34] According to Congressman Mike Rogers, a proponent of the space corps proposal, Trump made the surprise announcement on national TV to silence opponents of the measure within the White House and the military.^[35]

The current proposal is supported by current NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who has stated that it is critical to defending the United States' energy grid and GPS network. ^[36] Other supporters include former Air Force Colonel and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former Air Force Colonel and astronaut Terry Virts, former Marine Corps Colonel and astronaut Jack R. Lousma, former astronaut David Wolf, former astronaut Clayton Anderson, and astrophysist Neil deGrasse Tyson. ^{[37][38][39][40][41][42]}

Neil deGrasse Tyson has stated that a space force, in addition to war fighting responsibilities, should have the roles of space debris cleanup and asteroid defense. ^[43]

Defense Secretary Mattis, a critic of a space corps proposal in 2017, has stated space "is becoming a contested war-fighting domain, and we have to adapt to that reality."^[3] Former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James opposed an independent space arm, believing that since it would be the smallest armed service ever created, it would be detrimental to space operations, and instead supports the reestablishment of a unified combatant command for space.^[44] Similarly, Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution has argued that air and space operations need to be closely linked and it is unclear how separating them will be more effective in protecting satellites.^[45]

Congress directed two studies to examine the viability of a space force: the first is due in August 2018 and the second is due in December 2018.^[44] According to Rogers, the first study assesses to what extent a space force would be necessary, while the second one examines its nature, implementation, and costs.^[46] On July 18, it was reported that the DoD was putting its "final touches" on the first report according to Air Force chief General David Goldfein.^[47] The Center for Naval Analyses was hired to conduct the second report, which was ordered to "provide more specifics" on how to pave the way for the creation of a space force.^[44]

Vice President Mike Pence in August 2018 announced a plan that would establish the Space Force by 2020.^[48]

On August 13, 2018, President Trump signed into law the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law No: 115-232). It includes the re-establishment of the U.S. Space Command by the end of 2018. U.S. Space Command will be led by a four-star general or admiral and will temporarily be a sub-unified combatant command under U.S. Strategic Command, until it can be separated as a full unified combatant command.^[49]

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, an early opponent of the Space Corps proposal, stated in September 2018 that she is now in full alignment on a space force, with the condition that it must be done right and with no half-measures. She also announced that it would be a full service, with the Department of the Space Force as its military department, which she stated must have full responsibility for acquisitions, just as she has with the Department of the Air Force.^[50] At the Air Force Association's Air, Space, and Cyber Conference Secretary Wilson proposed a detailed plan for a future space force, with its own department and secretariat. The initial size of this force would be 13,000 people and would cost $13 billion over five years. Aside from absorbing the space activities of the Air Force, it would also absorb the space activities of the Army, Navy, Missile Defense Agency, Strategic Capabilities Office, NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. It would also maintain an extremely close relation ship with the National Reconnaissance Office.^[51]

United States Aerospace Force

The Air Force Association has come out strongly against the proposal, stating that air and space are indivisible. Rather, they propose merging the current air and space forces of the United States into the “United States Aerospace Force”, to better reflect the reality of air and space operations. In part this is also due to the large cost of setting up a separate space force and the lack of arms in space. ^[52] Former NASA Assistant Administrator Bill Bruner has also come out in support of this proposal, stating that integration is always better than stove piping military operations. He also proposed, within this new Aerospace Force, combining Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command into one Aerospace Combat Command.^[53]