The Trump administration is moving forward with its Space Force plans, officials have announced. Trump signed Space Policy Directive-4 today for establishing the Space Force under the Department of the Air Force, though the proposal still has to be submitted to Congress. The Air Force has estimated a substantial cost for the new military service at $13 billion.
Trump has been hawking the Space Force since summer 2018, initially presenting it as a separate military branch that would work alongside — but ultimately be separate from — the Air Force. Instead, the directive aims for the Space Force to be established as a new branch within the USAF. The future Space Force undersecretary will report to the USAF secretary.
Critics worry that a Space Force would be a move ultimately propelling humanity toward the militarization of space. Others have argued, however, that ‘killer’ satellites are a present problem and that the government needs to take more substantial steps toward monitoring space for threats to the nation’s satellites.