The Pentagon's new U.S. Space Command is opening for business and its mission is to defend American interests in space. That's different from the Space Force, which still hasn't received final approval by Congress.
WASHINGTON — Mindful of President Donald Trump’s intense interest in space, the Pentagon is declaring U.S. Space Command open for business as part of a broader effort to better defend American interests in space.Trump planned to participate in a ceremony Thursday marking Space Command’s official establishment, or to be more precise, it’s re-establishment. The command existed for more than a decade before being eliminated in 2002 as part of the government’s post-9/11 reorganization.
The role of the new Space Command is to conduct space 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, in the way the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are distinct services.
“To ensure the protection of America’s interests in space, we must apply the necessary focus, energy and resources to the task, and that is exactly what Space Command will do,” Esper said Wednesday. The people in Space Force would be assigned to missions directed by Space Command, just as members of the Army and other services are assigned to an organization like U.S. Strategic Command.
“This step puts us on a path to maintain a competitive advantage,” Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a National Space Council meeting last week. He also endorsed creating Space Force, saying it would make a “profound difference.” Air Force Gen. John “Jay” Raymond will serve as the first commander of U.S. Space Command. He currently heads Air Force Space Command.
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