Washington, DC - When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space. ~ President Donald J. Trump

ESTABLISHING SPACE COMMAND: Thursday, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the Secretary of Defense established the United States Space Command to ensure space superiority.

• The United States Space Command strengthens our ability to deter conflict and ensure unfettered access to, and freedom to operate in, space.
• United States Space Command will be established as the newest unified combatant command under the Department of Defense and will include forces from all Military Services.
  • United States Space Command will consist of military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors.
• The new unified combatant command will accomplish strategic objectives and enhance the capability of our military to protect America’s dominance in space by:
  • Employing assigned forces from every branch of the military to achieve vital victories in space.
  • Delivering combat power by operating superior space capabilities such as communications, intelligence, navigation, and early missile detection and warning.
• The establishment of United States Space Command represents a crucial step to improving the Nation’s space warfighting structure in our ever evolving world.

PROTECTING AMERICAN INTERESTS: United States space capabilities are critical to the advancement of American interests and the safety of the Nation.

• The United States is reliant on space for everything from vital military systems that protect us to widely used consumer systems that benefit our economy.
• We have the strongest military in the world, but failure to act now may allow our adversaries to overcome our competitive advantage by denying us access to the space domain.
• America’s private industry is developing technologies that are rapidly changing the vast economic potential of space.
• Going forward, the United States must have the freedom to take advantage of the untapped opportunities that space presents to our Nation.

PUSHING AMERICA FARTHER: The Trump Administration has prioritized advancement in space capabilities and exploration to protect the Nation and push America farther into the future.

• President Trump signed a directive calling for the United States Space Force – a sixth branch of the Armed Forces – to protect America’s national security interests in space.
  • The United States Space Force will organize, train, equip, and present forces to United States Space Command and other combatant commands for joint warfighting.
• In 2017, President Trump directed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to go back to the Moon and pursue human exploration of Mars.
• Last year, the President released his National Space Strategy, which recognized our adversaries’ goals that put the United States at risk and charted a path forward to maintain America’s dominance in space.
• President Trump revived the National Space Council to develop modern national space policy.