Pence lays out plans for Trump’s “Space Force”

Vice President Mike Pence is expected to outline plans for President Trump’s proposed new “space force” during remarks at the Pentagon on Thursday. Mr. Trump officially directed the Department of Defense to establish a sixth branch of the U.S. military in space back in June, saying the space force would ensure American dominance in the final frontier.

“It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space,” Mr. Trump said. Pence tweeted ahead of his remarks that “space is ‘a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea.'”

The space force intends to organize, train, and equip people in the interest of space-related national security. It could, eventually, lead missions to other planets, including Mars. There is currently no details and no timetable, but the establishment of a new military branch to oversee war fighting in space would require congressional approval.

Pence currently serves as chair for the president’s revitalized National Space Council.