Press Release - President Donald J. Trump Is Launching America's Space Force

FORMING SPACE FORCE: To safeguard American dominance in space, President Donald J. Trump is working to form a Space Force as a sixth branch of the Armed Forces.

• President Trump has received six recommendations, unanimously approved by his National Space Council, regarding the establishment of the United States Space Force.
• The six recommendations presented to the President call for:
  • Forming a United States Space Command to control our space forces and develop the tactics, techniques, and procedures for military space operations.
  • Establishing the Space Force as a separate and distinct branch of the military whose mission will be to organize, train, and equip combat space forces.
  • Calling on Congress to authorize the establishment of a Space Force and provide funding for the United States Space Command.
  • Launching a joint review by the National Space Council and National Security Council of existing space operational authorities for meeting national security objectives, informed by DOD's assessment of the authorities required.
  • Creating a Space Development Agency to ensure Americans in the Space Force have cutting-edge warfighting capabilities.
  • Creating collaborative mechanisms with the Intelligence Community to improve unity of efforts for the development of space capabilities and operations.

PREPARING FOR THE THREATS OF THE 21^ST CENTURY: President Trump is preparing our military to protect against the wide range of challenges we face today, including in space.

• Space is now recognized as a warfighting domain and the United States must be prepared to meet the emerging threats we face in this new battlefield.
• Recognizing this, President Trump is taking action to ensure that the American military is equipped to protect our Nation and preserve our freedom to operate in, from, and to space.
• The recommendations follow the President's direct call for the formation of a Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces.
  • On June 18, 2018, President Trump directed the Department of Defense to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force as a new military branch

RENEWING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN SPACE: President Trump is keeping his promise to restore America's legacy of leadership in space

• President Trump has signed three space policy directives to restore and revitalize America's space program. These directives will:
  • Reorient our space program toward human exploration of deep space.
  • Unleash the power of America's commercial space enterprise.
  • Protect our vital space assets by improving space traffic management.
• In June 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order reviving the National Space Council for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
• President Trump unveiled the National Space Strategy in March of 2018 to prioritize American strength and competitiveness in the space environment.