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Trump Signs Order to Establish “Space Force”

HeadlineFeb 20, 2019

President Trump is moving forward with his plan to establish a “Space Force,” which would be set up as part of the U.S. Air Force. Trump originally announced the Space Force would be its own military branch, separate from the Air Force, which currently oversees all outer space-related military activity. This is Trump speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday as he signed the Space Force policy directive.

President Donald Trump: “America must be fully equipped to defend our vital interests. Our adversaries are training forces and developing technology to undermine our security in space. And they’re working very hard at that. That’s why my administration has recognized space as a war-fighting domain and made the creation of the Space Force a national security priority.”

The president will need congressional approval to create the Space Force. It’s unclear for now how much it would cost, though the White House said this information would be revealed in the upcoming 2020 budget proposal. Critics fear the establishment of a U.S. Space Force will trigger an arms race in space.

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