Editorial Board
Trump’s ‘Space Force’ Is No Joke. It Might Even Work.
The military is heavily reliant on space, but its approach now is dysfunctional.
He might be on to something.
Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Donald Trump’s desire to add a “Space Force” to the U.S. military has elicited plenty of mockery and puzzlement. But don’t dismiss the idea. If undertaken prudently, it could represent a substantial and forward-looking reform.
Although Trump offered few details, Congress has been mulling a similar concept for years. The idea would be to create a new military branch, or a new service within the Air Force, dedicated to overseeing operations in space. Trump said this week (in unfortunate language) that he envisions the new entity as “separate but equal” to the Air Force.