With a government shutdown looming and multiple investigations targeting the White House, President Trump will turn his attention to the cosmos this week by creating a new “Space Command.”
Vice President Mike Pence will announce the news Tuesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Trump could sign an executive order creating the command as soon as Tuesday, officials said.
The move is separate from Trump’s goal of creating a “Space Force” as an independent branch of the military, but could be a step in that direction.
The Air Force’s existing Space Command would be a key component of the new joint entity, raising space to the same status as US Cyber Command.
According to the officials, Pence will be at the Pentagon on Tuesday and will meet with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Space Command is expected to be among the issues discussed. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
The move would actually recreate a Space Command, which existed from 1985 to 2002.
It was disbanded in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks so that US Northern Command could be established, focusing on defense of the homeland.
Although Space Command went away, its functions did not.
They were absorbed by US Strategic Command, and the Air Force retained its lead role in space through Air Force Space Command.
With AP