Vice President Mike Pence has said the establishment of a “space force†as the sixth military branch seeks to address the “lack of centralized leadership and accountability†over programs that aim to promote national security in space.Pence said Tuesday at the National Space Council’s fourth meeting at the National Defense University that the council would vote on six recommendations for the proposed roadmap to form the new service, which he says would help sort out the “fragmented responsibilities” over national security space initiatives.
He mentioned plans for the creation of a unified combatant command and a space development agency and a joint review between the National Space Council and National Security Council to assess space authorities that would provide warfighters the leeway to counter space-based threats.
The Trump administration will work with Congress in the next few months to include in the next National Defense Authorization Act provisions to establish the space-focused service by 2020, Pence noted.
Pence also cited the government’s partnerships with the private sector to build up the country’s launch systems and expedite the delivery of new space capabilities through the Launch Service Agreements.
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