Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Law Redrawing Congressional Maps

24 hours ago

US Air Force will Offer Military Funeral Honors to Slain Capitol Rioter

1 day ago

US Republican Senator Joni Ernst Will Not Run for Re-Election, CBS News Reports

1 day ago

Wall Street Falls as Dell, Nvidia Drive Tech Losses

1 day ago

US Denies Visas to Palestinian Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly

1 day ago

Minneapolis Children Revealed Courage, Absorbed Fear During Church Shooting

2 days ago

Ford Recalls Nearly 500,000 Vehicles Over Brake Fluid Leak

2 days ago

Fresno-Bound Passenger Says Delta Attendant Slapped Him, Seeks $20M

2 days ago
Biden Seen Likely to Keep Space Force, a Trump Favorite
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
January 28, 2021

Share

WASHINGTON — To the last moments of his presidency, Donald Trump trumpeted Space Force as a creation for the ages. And while President Joe Biden has quickly undone other Trump initiatives, the space-faring service seems likely to survive, even if the new administration pushes it lower on the list of defense priorities.

The reason Space Force is unlikely to go away is largely this: Elimination would require an act of Congress, where a bipartisan consensus holds that America’s increasing reliance on space is a worrying vulnerability that is best addressed by a branch of the military focused exclusively on this problem.

The new service also is linked to an increasing U.S. wariness of China, which is developing capabilities to threaten U.S. satellites in space and which has become, in the minds of some, the singular national security challenge. Russia, too, stands accused by Washington of seeking to challenge American dominance in space.

“They’re building capabilities to use space against us. We have to be able to respond to that,” Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Security Space Association, an advocacy group, last week, referring to Russia and China.

As a career space officer, Hyten says he often gets asked what will become of Space Force under Biden. And while he offered no prediction, he clearly believes Space Force should remain.

Biden has not publicly commented on his intentions with Space Force. His defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, has been noncommittal while stressing the strategic importance of space. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Biden’s view.

While Far Smaller Than Any Other Branch of the Military, Space Force Is Acquiring the Standard Trappings of a Service

Although some see it as a Trump vanity project, Space Force is not the farcical force of the public imagination. In the military, it’s seen soberly as an affirmation of the need to more effectively organize for the defense of U.S. interests in space — especially satellites used for civilian and military navigation, intelligence and communication.

While far smaller than any other branch of the military, Space Force is acquiring the standard trappings of a service, including an official flag, logo, seal and doctrine. It has launched commercials to attract recruits. After lengthy debate, it was decided last month that Space Force members would be called guardians, although they don’t yet have an official dress uniform. The force is planning to expand its ranks from 2,400 active-duty members to 6,400 by the end of this year.

Kaitlyn Johnson, an expert on space policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says bipartisan congressional support for Space Force makes it likely that Biden will not push for its undoing.

“I think this is a good thing, as the Space Force has had barely a year to set itself up and get to work,” she said. Adds her think-tank colleague, Todd Harrison, “The odds of it being repealed are close to zero.”

Space Force was launched in December 2019 as the first new military service since establishment of the Air Force as an independent entity in 1947. Its leader, Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, has a seat at the table with the other Joint Chiefs, although Space Force operates as part of the Department of the Air Force, much like the Marine Corps is a separate service but is overseen by the Department of the Navy.

The push for more emphasis on space has gone beyond Space Force. A separate but related move in August 2019 reestablished U.S. Space Command; it is not a military service but a central command for military-wide space operations. Space Command had been dissolved in 2005 and absorbed by U.S. Strategic Command, a post-9/11 move aimed at freeing up resources to strengthen homeland defenses.

The Push to Create a Military Space Service Began Well Before Trump Entered the White House

Trump also reconstituted the National Space Council, which coordinates policy in civil, commercial and national security space matters. It had been dormant since the administration of President Bill Clinton.

The push to create a military space service began well before Trump entered the White House. But his relentless advocacy dulled what remained of opposition inside the Pentagon, where some officials — especially in the Air Force — believed a separate service was unwarranted and duplicative. Gen. Charles Q. Brown, who became the Air Force chief of staff after Space Force was born, says it is time to stop debating and instead focus on making the best possible use of Space Force.

Biden has said little about the military’s role in space, but he did bring with him to the Oval Office a symbol of his interest in space exploration — a moon rock brought home by Apollo 17 nearly half a century ago.

Austin, the new defense secretary, has been noncommittal on the question of keeping Space Force. Asked by the Senate Armed Services Committee prior to his confirmation hearing whether he thought creation of the new service was “warranted,” Austin demurred. He noted dryly that Space Force emerged after years of study by Congress and other groups. He sounded unenthused.

Austin didn’t suggest he would recommend scrapping it. He said he would study it, noting that space is a vital interest.

“Looking ahead, the DOD space enterprise is still not well-integrated with other services and terrestrial commands, and there are several other challenges that will need to be addressed, as would be expected when establishing a brand new military service,” Austin wrote.

The nonpartisan Secure World Foundation, which advocates for the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space, has urged Biden to build on the space policy decisions of the Trump administration, including Space Force.

“Consistency across key national space efforts … will help move the United States forward and demonstrate stability to international partners by avoiding the constant reset and lack of strategic direction that has happened in the past during presidential transitions,” it said in a report last month.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Classic Cars Will Still Need a Smog Test in California After Lawmakers Reject Jay Leno Bill

DON'T MISS

Visalia Driver Arrested for DUI After Multiple Crashes and Pedestrian Injured

DON'T MISS

Dollar Trades Lower With Fed Cut In View, On Course For Monthly Drop

DON'T MISS

Visalia Semi Crash Injures Amazon Truck Driver After Red Light Collision

DON'T MISS

Evacuation of Gaza City Would Be Unsafe and Unfeasible, Says Head of Red Cross

DON'T MISS

A Goodbye Love Note to My Dog: Remembering My Best Friend Harriet

DON'T MISS

Most Trump Tariffs Are Not Legal, US Appeals Court Rules

DON'T MISS

New $250 Visa Fee Risks Deepening US Travel Slump

DON'T MISS

Prime Minister of Yemen’s Houthi Government Killed in Israeli Strike

DON'T MISS

California Schools Reverse Truancy Trends. Improving Reading Scores Could Be Next

UP NEXT

New $250 Visa Fee Risks Deepening US Travel Slump

UP NEXT

Lawsuit Links CA Teen’s Suicide To Artificial Intelligence

UP NEXT

Hearing Ends Without Ruling On Trump’s Firing Of Fed Governor Cook

UP NEXT

Gov. Newsom Launches New Task Force To Clear CA Homeless Encampments

UP NEXT

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Law Redrawing Congressional Maps

UP NEXT

US Republican Senator Joni Ernst Will Not Run for Re-Election, CBS News Reports

UP NEXT

Trump Moves to Permanently Cancel Funding in Rare Move Around Congress

UP NEXT

US Denies Visas to Palestinian Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly

UP NEXT

Trump Ends Security Protection for Former Vice President Harris, Senior White House Official Says

UP NEXT

Trump Signs Order to End Collective Bargaining With Some Federal Unions

Visalia Semi Crash Injures Amazon Truck Driver After Red Light Collision

2 hours ago

Evacuation of Gaza City Would Be Unsafe and Unfeasible, Says Head of Red Cross

3 hours ago

A Goodbye Love Note to My Dog: Remembering My Best Friend Harriet

3 hours ago

Most Trump Tariffs Are Not Legal, US Appeals Court Rules

3 hours ago

New $250 Visa Fee Risks Deepening US Travel Slump

3 hours ago

Prime Minister of Yemen’s Houthi Government Killed in Israeli Strike

3 hours ago

California Schools Reverse Truancy Trends. Improving Reading Scores Could Be Next

3 hours ago

High-Speed Rail Hits a New Snag as Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Expedite Construction

3 hours ago

Fresno County Garnet Fire Expands to 17,561 Acres, 8% Contained

3 hours ago

Lawsuit Links CA Teen’s Suicide To Artificial Intelligence

4 hours ago

Classic Cars Will Still Need a Smog Test in California After Lawmakers Reject Jay Leno Bill

By Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Ryan Sabalow CalMatters Jay L...

2 hours ago

California lawmakers killed “Leno’s Law,” a bill to exempt classic cars from smog checks, despite Jay Leno’s support and bipartisan backing. (Shutterstock)
2 hours ago

Classic Cars Will Still Need a Smog Test in California After Lawmakers Reject Jay Leno Bill

A Visalia man was arrested Friday, Aug. 29, 2025, for DUI and other charges after a series of crashes downtown left a pedestrian with minor injuries. (Visalia PD)
2 hours ago

Visalia Driver Arrested for DUI After Multiple Crashes and Pedestrian Injured

2 hours ago

Dollar Trades Lower With Fed Cut In View, On Course For Monthly Drop

An Amazon semi ran a red light and collided with another truck in Visalia early Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, seriously injuring the driver. (Visalia PD)
2 hours ago

Visalia Semi Crash Injures Amazon Truck Driver After Red Light Collision

Displaced Palestinians ride on a vehicle loaded with belongings as they flee from one area to another within Gaza City, amid an Israeli military operation, in Gaza City, August 29, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

Evacuation of Gaza City Would Be Unsafe and Unfeasible, Says Head of Red Cross

Mell Garcia says a heartfelt goodbye to her dog Harriet after 13 years, cherishing their memories and celebrating the love they shared. (Special to GV Wire)
3 hours ago

A Goodbye Love Note to My Dog: Remembering My Best Friend Harriet

President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

Most Trump Tariffs Are Not Legal, US Appeals Court Rules

Tourists and pedestrians walk down Pell Street in the Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, U.S., April 14, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

New $250 Visa Fee Risks Deepening US Travel Slump

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend