Trump Created The Space Force. Here's What It Will Actually Do
December 21, 20196:29 PM ET
Heard on Weekend Edition Sunday
Merrit Kennedy 2018 square
When President Trump signed a $738 billion defense spending bill on Friday, he officially created the Space Force. It's the sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Services, and the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947.
"Space is the world's newest war-fighting domain," President Trump said during the signing ceremony. "Amid grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital. And we're leading, but we're not leading by enough. But very shortly we'll be leading by a lot."
The idea was widely mocked when it was first floated, providing fodder for late night hosts, newspaper cartoonists and comedy writers. Senior military officials have previously raised concerns about what it will cost, and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned against rushing into creating the force without clearly defined goals.
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/21/790492010/trump-created-the-space-force-heres-what-it-will-do
