The Pentagon is considering the creation of a Space Force as one way to improve military operations in space, an assistant defense secretary confirmed on Thursday.
The idea of the new military service, which was touted by President Trump on Tuesday, is “getting close attention” and is among a variety of options on the table as part of an ongoing organizational and management review of space operations, Kenneth Rapuano, an assistant defense secretary for homeland defense and global security, told a House Armed Services panel.
The review is being headed up by Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan. Congress requested the review after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Air Force helped shoot down a House effort last year to create the new space service, which lawmakers called Space Corps.
“Assessment of the Space Corps is one of those options that is getting close attention among others, and he is going to be recommending that set of options that best ensures lasting U.S. leadership and success in space,” Rapuano said.
Despite Pentagon opposition, Trump suddenly and unexpectedly reignited debate over a new space service on Tuesday when he called for a Space Force during a visit to California.
“We may even have a Space Force — develop another one; Space Force. We have the Air Force; we’ll have the Space Force. We have the Army, the Navy,” Trump said.
Leaders of the Air Force, which handles most military space operations, had been staunchly against the proposal, saying it would add unneeded bureaucracy. But Secretary Heather Wilson and Gen. David Goldfein, the chief of staff, tread lightly and said they appreciated the president’s leadership when asked about Trump’s comments during Capitol Hill testimony Wednesday.
Rapuano was also questioned about the president’s space service comments during the House Armed Services subcommittee hearing on space Thursday.
“The president is very focused on outcomes. He has prioritized space, he has recognized the threats that have evolved, and the pace with which they’ve evolved, and he recognizes that as a warfighting domain,” Rapuano told lawmakers. “He also very interested in ensuring the department is best organized and equipped to achieve our vital missions in space, and he’s very interested in exploring any options that could provide that enhanced capability.”
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the subcommittee chairman, has been a leading booster for the idea of creating a new space service over the past year and believes it will still be created in 3-5 years.
“I agree the president cares about outcomes but I would ask you to go back and look at his exact words and they were, ‘We should have a Space Force, we will have a Space Force,’” Rogers told Rapuano.
