President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order before the end of the year creating a U.S. Space Command as a major military command. U.S. Officials said that Vice President Mike Pence will make the announcement Tuesday at the Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Trump could sign the order as soon as Tuesday. This move is separate from Trump’s goal of creating a “Space Force” as an independent armed service branch.
The U.S. Air Force’s existing Space Command would be a key component of the new joint entity, raising space to the same status as U.S. Cyber Command. The move would actually recreate a U.S. Space Command, which existed from 1985 to 2002. It was disbanded in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks so that U.S. Northern Command could be established, focusing on defense of the homeland. The functions of Space Command were absorbed by U.S. Strategic Command, and the Air Force retained its lead role in space through Air Force Space Command.
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