Will Space Force Really Defend the Final Frontier? 4 Questions Answered
For a lot of people, the idea of a “Space Force” conjures up images of a bad Star Wars or Star Trek parody. Think, Spaceballs, “Marvin the Martian,” heck, there was a Netflix film released last year called — you guessed it — Space Force.
But, all jokes aside, the U.S. Space Force is — indeed — a very real and fully operational branch of the United States Armed Forces.
And its mission means serious business: to serve as our first line of defense against the threats we — and our allies — face in Earth’s orbit.
But, let’s get real. When President Trump officially launched the Space Force in December 2019, few could tell you much about it. More were convinced it was a flashy PR stunt by our nation’s most media-savvy president. And some even questioned whether we need a — so-called — “Space Force” at all.
Let’s put the memes down for a moment, though, and get to the heart of the matter. What is the Space Force? What does it do? Is it a waste of taxpayer dollars, or will the world’s next big conflict be in outer space?
1. A Galactic War on Terror?
Understanding the U.S.’ celestial proclivities first means separating our military and civilian ventures in space.
In 1958, as the U.S.S.R. launched its Sputnik satellite — officially kick-starting the “Space Race” — Washington was griped over how the U.S. would respond — and how we’d catch up with our Soviet counterparts.
Some lawmakers — like then-Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson — lobbied for an agency that could flex its military muscle in space, while others — like President Dwight Eisenhower — believed it would be a waste of federal funds.
NASA was Johnson’s and Eisenhower’s compromise, a civilian agency that would serve as a platform — not for waging galactic war — but for scientific and technological research and development.
But, NASA’s creation didn’t mean an end to our military presence in space.
Fast-forward twenty years — and a few trips to the moon along the way — to the Air Force Space Command’s inception in 1982. By this point, the Soviet Union reached the peak of its political and strategic might, a result of the SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) Treaties in 1972 and 1979. Now, for the first time, the U.S.S.R. obtained parity in nuclear weapons with the U.S.
But what did AFSC do? Think “space surveillance.” The agency primarily focused on monitoring ballistic missile launches and satellite operations. AFSC also played a role during Operation Desert Storm and Iraq and Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11 — providing space-based support, including communications and cybersecurity.
Essentially, AFSC was the precursor to the Space Force.
The bottom line is that while, of course, there aren’t cosmic wars currently raging in space, the U.S. maintains a robust military presence among the cosmos — and has for decades.
2. Is Space the Next Battlefield or a Cold War Relic?
It’s impossible to talk about the Space Force — or the U.S.’ history in space for that matter — without circling back to the Cold War. Our adversarial relationship with the Soviet Union — in the great ideological battle between Democracy and Communism — is what launched us into space in the first place.
But, it’ll be 30 years this December since the Soviet flag lowered over the Kremlin for the last time. So, why do we still care about space supremacy? We won the proverbial war, right?
Perhaps. But the biggest difference between 1991 and 2021 is there are many more players on the orbital field today.
In 2015, China continued its twenty-year-long military modernization, creating the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support. The PLASSF consolidated China’s cyber, nuclear, and space capabilities under a single banner. And in the last 15 years, China has increased space funding by a staggering 349%.
For its part, Russia took China’s cue and followed suit, launching the Aerospace Forces that same year.
Another difference is how rapidly our world has progressed — technologically speaking — between “then” and “now.” Nearly everything we do here on Earth’s surface correlates to satellites working overtime up above. Consumers, corporations, and governments alike are dependent on the security of its interests in the sky to keep the trains running on time — literally and figuratively.
3. Space Force or Farce?
The reality is that there are legitimate reasons why space defense is vital to safeguarding our national and global infrastructure. So, why then was the Space Force mercilessly mocked when the idea gained new life in 2018, providing a wealth of material for late-night hosts, newspaper cartoonists, and comedy writers? Even William Shatner — Captain Kirk himself — weighed in on what had morphed into an IRL SNL sketch versus a legitimate military branch.
There are many reasons (i.e., #ResistanceTwitter, camouflage uniforms that wouldn’t necessarily blend in with the void of space, a logo that looked like a Star Trek ripoff, etc.), so pick your poison.
But on December 20, 2019, President Trump signed that year’s $738 billion defense spending bill, and the United States Space Force was officially born.
While it’s been operational for over a year now, you’d be forgiven if you had some basic questions. So, let’s break it down:
- Who’s in charge of the Space Force?
Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond is the inaugural Chief of Space Operations for the USSF. Currently, more than 16,000 uniformed and civilian personnel work within the Space Force.
2. What’s the Space Force’s annual budget?
That will change with each fiscal year, but $15 billion was allocated to the Space Force as part of the $2.3 trillion appropriations Congress passed for FY 2021.
3. What does the Space Force do and not do?
There’s confusion between the Space Force and U.S. Space Command, the latter of which is responsible for military operations in space. For its part, the Space Force operates and defends military and GPS satellites, possesses various offensive capabilities against our adversaries, and tracks space debris.
Live Long and Prosper?
In the almost three months he’s been in office, President Biden has taken a fine-tooth comb to most of his predecessor’s policies. But one of the Trump-era programs that won’t be rolled back is the Space Force. During a February press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Space Force “absolutely” has the “full support of the Biden administration.”
Initially, Psaki was slammed by House Republicans like Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) for seemingly dismissive comments made the previous day.
“Wow. Space Force. It’s the plane of today,” she responded to a reporter’s question, comparing it to one about the color scheme of Air Force One.
After angry reactions from the GOP, Psaki later tweeted, “We look forward to the continuing work of Space Force and invite the members of the team to come visit us in the briefing room anytime to share an update on their important work.”
Mea culpa aside, now that we know the White House has no plans to disband the Space Force, what purpose will it serve under President Biden? While the Space Force enjoys bipartisan support in Congress, what it will accomplish over the next four years remains to be seen.
