The Urgent Need for a United States Space Force

Hillsdale College-Imprimus ^ | January 2020 | Steven L. Kwast

[Taxman]

I hope the first Commanding General is Buck Rogers!

[The Toll]

Illegal Ancient Aliens?

[whinecountry]

Outstanding article. Thanks for posting.

[Svartalfiar]

“Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies” ratified in Washington, London and Moscow in 1967. That leaves out China and India.

Which is a major reason that treaty (waaaay outdated) need to be revisited. Britain has dropped so far, they wouldn't be a threat to anyone. Moscow, like us, is certainly worried about China (historically they hate each other quite a bit), and I'm sure has clandestine research going on anyway. It's not like they follow the spirit of the nuke treaty. (They probably did actually follow it, as 50%+ of their stuff probably couldn't even get off the ground!)

I doubt China would add their signature to it, and even if they did, they'd ignore it even moreso than Russia. India, isn't really a threat to us (we're friendly), but there's still a chance something could go wrong. And it would be dumb for them to limit themselves by choice when the other major players already locked themselves in to the treaty.

The treaty just needs to be scrapped, period. Or, at a minimum, re-negotiated to include all spacefaring nations / those close to it.

[Svartalfiar]

Correspondingly, the Defense Department and Congress think that the Air Force should build the Space Force. So far, this has amounted to the Air Force planning to improve the current Satellite Command incrementally and call it a Space Force.

We really should. Can do it the same as the Marines - they're just part of the Navy, but operate mostly independently. Likewise, Space Force can be under the Air Force, but with a mostly separated chain of command, properties, and assets.

[minnesota_bound]

We already have a space force.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/60/88/0b/60880b6b8767d703c8683ec35e2ec260.jpg

https://cdn1us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/styles/main_wide/public/images/15221.jpg?itok=PHeYoJBm

[tbw2]

The U.S. Space Force has now actually gone to space
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/03/the-first-launch-for-the-us-space-force-is-set-for-today-from-florida/