Why Trump Might Be Right That We Need a Space Force
If an asteroid, comet or other celestial threat were heading toward our planet, early detection and monitoring would be our first step toward defense.
The idea of a space force isn’t necessarily new, although President Trump has brought the concept to the forefront of the minds of the general public. He sees the need to respond to growing military demand in these areas by creating a space force and designating this endeavor as its own sixth branch of the military to serve in a separate capacity from the army, air force, marines, navy and coast guard.
The force’s jurisdiction in space would involve addressing concerns of NEO (near-Earth objects) or PHO (potentially hazardous objects) but would also operate more practical and full-time functions such as defending satellites utilizing systems that could “degrade, deny, disrupt, destroy and manipulate adversary capabilities,” should the need arise.
While issues such as asteroid deflection are continually increasing in awareness among worldwide authorities, there are still some who would state that the risk is over-sensationalized or that if a true risk were present, we would likely be unable to intervene on our own behalf. However, the introduction of satellite risk into the conversation always brings a tangible, real cause for alarm, which often rallies naysayers to confess that even aside from asteroid or comet danger, space defense is indeed becoming a timely concern. In consideration of such emergent issues, some authorities, even those in Congress, “have called for weapons that could destroy ballistic missiles from space.”
After some opposition from the Pentagon and Congress to creating a completely separate division of the military, Trump has acquiesced by launching a developmental stage of the space force beneath the umbrella of the air force for the time being. It would take an act of Congress to create a sixth division of special forces within the American military. The last time this occurred was in 1947, when, under the leadership of Harry Truman, the air force was officially established.
However, on February 19, 2019, Trump signed Space Policy Directive 4, a directive that orders the Pentagon to draw up legislation that would initiate the space force as an official, separate military branch operating under the jurisdiction of the air force. The president remains insistent that “our destiny beyond the Earth is not only a matter of national identity but a matter of national security.” Furthermore, he emphasizes: “America must be fully equipped to defend our vital interests. Our adversaries are training forces and developing technology to undermine our security in space.”
Nearly forty retired authorities in the fields of national military and intelligence have been vocal in their support for the establishment of a space force. Even as I write this, Congress deliberates on whether to acknowledge this force as a separate branch of the US armed forces.
Preparing for space traffic?
In addition to plans for making a space force, Trump likewise has declared that his plans for going forward will be carried out with the same assertive, motivated nature that the man imposes toward anything he sets his mind to: “We’ll be setting aggressive timelines, challenging old ways of doing business, and we will be expecting real results,” to which he added: “I am instructing my administration to embrace the budding commercial space industry.”
The president also states that a priority in this endeavor will be to modernize what he calls “‘out-of-date’ space regulations.” The president has signed a directive for federal departments, agencies, and American industrial representatives to collaborate in an effort toward creating a “state of the art framework for space traffic management.”
The question raised by this motion becomes, What type of traffic are we truly expecting? Granted, the number of satellites currently placed in space will likely increase over coming years, and those that orbit at this moment perform tasks that, if interrupted, could compromise national security for the country of ownership. Thus, for satellite traffic, additional updating and creation of legislation stands to reason.
But are there additional types of space traffic anticipated in upcoming years? Current conversations seem to affirm these possibilities, citing potential new categories of such activity—possibilities such as commerce (including but not limited to asteroid mining), asteroid deflection and exploration, increased satellite activity, militia-related traffic, and even future colonization of locations such as the moon or Mars. In keeping with the ever-expanding list of new possibilities comes a perpetually mounting stack of potential risks, complications, and even vulnerabilities where national and planetary defense is concerned. {eoa}
This article is adapted from The Wormwood Prophecy: NASA, Donald Trump, and a Cosmic Cover-Up of End-Time Proportions by Thomas Horn. Copyright ©2019 Published by Charisma House. Used by permission.
