US lawmakers have drafted legislation proposing the formation of a new branch of the military called the Space Corps. This new space-orientated military service would join the five other branches of the United States Armed Forces and is intended to manage national security in space.
Last week, the House Armed Service Committee, led by Republican Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Democrat Jim Cooper, introduced the new legislation claiming that the current national security space systems in the United States are not capable of protecting the country's space assets.
"Not only are there developments by adversaries," says Mr Rogers and Mr Cooper in the committee release, "but we are imposing upon the national security space enterprise a crippling organizational and management structure and an acquisition system that has led to delays and cost-overruns."
Although the proposal establishes the US Space Corps as its own separate military service, it would still be operated from within the Department of the Air Force, in much the same way the US Marine Corps operates from within the Department of the Navy.
Will the space lasers make a 'pew, pew!' sound?
As a point of discussion, how does this proposal fit in with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967? Wikipedia summarizes:
The Outer Space Treaty represents the basic legal framework of international space law. Among its principles, it bars states party to the treaty from placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth, installing them on the Moon or any other celestial body, or otherwise stationing them in outer space. It exclusively limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes and expressly prohibits their use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications (Article IV). However, the Treaty does not prohibit the placement of conventional weapons in orbit and thus some highly destructive attack strategies such as kinetic bombardment are still potentially allowable. The treaty also states that the exploration of outer space shall be done to benefit all countries and that space shall be free for exploration and use by all the States.
The full text of the treaty is available at NASA.
Related Stories
Don't get your hopes up too high about becoming a space marine quite yet. But if the House of Representatives' version of the 2018 defense budget goes through, you may soon be able to enlist in the US Space Corps.
Back in January of 2001, days before the inauguration of President George W. Bush, a commission headed by future Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned of a "space Pearl Harbor" and urged a reorganization of the military to put a greater emphasis on warfare in the space domain—defending US communications and intelligence satellites, and if necessary taking out the satellites of adversaries. In their report, the Commission to Assess United States National Security Space Management and Organizations told Congress, "The US is more dependent on space than any other nation... Yet the threat to the US and its allies in and from space does not command the attention it merits."
A few things happened that derailed efforts to change that perceived neglect. But now the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) has breathed new life into those old plans by including a provision in the House version of the 2018 US defense budget that would create a separate military service dedicated to the cause of space as a warfare domain: the US Space Corps. It would also create a separate joint command, the US Space Command, breaking the role out of the US Strategic Command much in the way that was done with the US Cyber Command.
Source: Ars Technica
Previously: The United States Space Corps Wants You...
Former NASA astronaut, test pilot, and retired USAF Colonel Terry Virts is itching for a U.S. Space Force:
During my 30 plus years in the Air Force I had the privilege of serving as a pilot for my entire active duty career, with 16 of those years in Air Force Space Command as an astronaut. And I can say unequivocally that the air and space domains are completely different and independent of each other.
[...] If space is a separate domain, worthy of its own uniformed service, what exactly should it comprise, and what would it look like? Today, not only does the Air Force have its own space component, but so does the Army and Navy as well as other government agencies. I propose combining all "title 10" (i.e. combat related forces, as opposed to "title 50" intelligence gathering forces) assets that leave the atmosphere, or return from space, in a newly formed "Space Force," reporting directly to the secretary of Defense.
[...] I believe making this change will actually save money, as duplication is eliminated. It will also improve the quality of support that the joint force commander has at his disposal, as the joint-force space component commander will be entirely focused on providing space domain support to the joint fight, and not on pleasing an Air Force (or Navy or Army) chain of command that may have conflicting priorities.
[...] The time for a new uniformed service, the Space Force, is now. America deserves the most modern, efficient, and innovative military possible, and this will be a critical element in keeping us many steps ahead of our enemies.
Previously: The United States Space Corps Wants You...
Congressional Panel Puts Plans for a US Space Corps in 2018 Defense Budget
Trump orders creation of space-focused U.S. military branch
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he was ordering the creation of a sixth branch of the military to focus on space, a move critics said could harm the Air Force.
"It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space," Trump said before a meeting of his National Space Council. "We are going to have the Air Force and we're going to have the 'Space Force.' Separate but equal. It is going to be something," he said later.
The United States is a member of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bars the stationing of weapons of mass destruction in space and only allows for the use of the moon and other celestial bodies for peaceful purposes.
The idea of a Space Force has been raised before, by Trump and previous administrations, with proponents saying it would make the Pentagon more efficient. It has also faced criticism from senior military officials. Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein told a 2017 congressional hearing that creating a new space branch would "move us in the wrong direction." The Air Force oversees most of the nation's space-related military activity.
The move would require the budgetary approval of the U.S. Congress, which has been divided on the idea.
President Trump orders the creation of new Starship Troopers/Space Marines memes.
We should have a separate "Space" topic on SoylentNews at this point. We are all going to be drafted to fight aliens eventually.
Also at BBC (#winning image).
Previously: The United States Space Corps Wants You...
Congressional Panel Puts Plans for a US Space Corps in 2018 Defense Budget
The Case for a U.S. Space Force
Pence unveils plan to create Space Force by 2020
Vice President Mike Pence announced the Pentagon's detailed plan for President Donald Trump's vision of a Space Force on Thursday, which would establish the first military branch in over 70 years.
[...] Pence on Thursday stressed that the new branch would be built, in part, from pre-existing elements. "The Space Force will not be built from scratch," Pence said during a speech before members of the Pentagon. "This is a critical step toward's establishing the Space Force as the sixth branch of our armed forces."
Here are the four components to the Department of Defense establishing a Space Force:
First, DoD will establish a Space Development Agency to develop and field space capabilities at speed and scale. The Air Force has already begun to transform its Space and Missile Center (SMC). The Department will accelerate and extend this transformation to all services by creating a joint Space Development Agency.
Second, the Department will develop the Space Operations Force to support the Combatant Commands. These joint space warfighters will provide space expertise to combatant commanders and the Space Development Agency, and surge expertise in time of crisis to ensure that space capabilities are leveraged effectively in conflict.
Third, the Department will create the governance, services, and support functions of the Space Force. Many of these will require changes to U.S. law. The Department will build a legislative proposal for Congressional consideration as a part of the Fiscal Year 2020 budget cycle.
Fourth, the Department will create a U.S. Space Command, led by a four star general or flag officer, to lead the use of space assets in warfighting and accelerate integration of space capabilities into other warfighting forces. U.S. Space Command will be responsible for directing the employment of the Space Force.
Will Space Development Agency research trickle down to NASA?
Previously: The United States Space Corps Wants You...
Congressional Panel Puts Plans for a US Space Corps in 2018 Defense Budget
The Case for a U.S. Space Force
President Trump Orders the Creation of a United States Space Force
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @07:27AM (1 child)
When do we get to the part with giant humanoid robots in space powered by Compact Fusion Reactors.
Sig Zeon(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @12:19PM
Gotta mine asteroids first. That's where the gundanium is.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @07:45AM (2 children)
It's just not the Space Corps without the Women's Hospitality Order Refortifying & Encouraging Spacemen ("W.H.O.R.E.S").
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @03:01PM (1 child)
Or the Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Terrifying Organisms and their Rehabilitation Into Society.
(Score: 1) by Pax on Thursday June 29 2017, @04:40PM
I dunno, you kinda make it sound like they are a bit of a c*nt!
(Score: 3, Funny) by looorg on Thursday June 29 2017, @07:51AM (2 children)
Space Corp ... Sounds like the peace corp. They should have just called them Space Marines. If Games Workshop complained they can just drone-strike them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @01:51PM
Space Cadets.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @06:58PM
SPAAAAHHS MAREEEEENS!!!!1!!one
FOR THE EMPRAH!
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday June 29 2017, @08:12AM (1 child)
Space. Space. Space...space! Space! Spacespacespacegottagotospace...oh wait, Space *Corps.* Erm, sorry. Carry on.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:58PM
Benny, is that you?
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Thursday June 29 2017, @08:13AM (17 children)
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/339972-plans-for-space-corps-stand-after-amendment-to-defense-policy-bill-fails [thehill.com]
Most science fiction has the space corps as part of a navy, with naval ranks, terms and "culture".
Are spaceships ships, planes, or... rockets?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RamiK on Thursday June 29 2017, @10:09AM (11 children)
The air-force command structure isn't organized for long-range missions and seniority* based promotions. If it's about near-orbit aerospace dog fights, bombing satellites and escorting large ships to orbit, the air-force can, should, and will do it. But if you're talking about escorting large fleets to remote colonies and the like while operating 40k style ships... That's either the Navy or a new corp modeled after the Navy.
They've gradually (and grudgingly) grown to handle long range bombings and transports (escort and operating) since you can't excuse a large force without doing something... But over the years, they've rejected practically everything else that would change their command structure:
1. The Army is operating their own helicopters and bombers to provide ground support: They wanted to distance themselves from the Army.
2. Navy's air-craft carriers: See No.1.
3. NASA: Long-range exploration doesn't get you promoted fast enough.
4. Radar stations: Too boring and seniority based promotions.
5. ICBMs: See No.4.
6. UAVs: Too many conflicting interests so the Army and Navy operate their own.
So it's only natural they don't want aerospace.
*Not to say they're a meritocracy or anything of the sorts... But it's not wrong to say their command does have a lot of real pilots as opposed to the amount of Navy and Army's officers that come from the rank & file.
compiling...
(Score: 3, Informative) by Geezer on Thursday June 29 2017, @10:47AM (9 children)
I can't comment on the Army, but naval aviators are in fact a significant portion of the senior Navy command structure and have been since WW2. There is a natural diversity in the Navy officer corps, since the Army and Air Force do not operate a large submarine force in addition to other mission-specific specialties.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Thursday June 29 2017, @11:42AM (5 children)
Yeah don't give them any ideas.
A friend of mine from school joined our navy's army's air force as one species or another of aircraft mechanic. I would not be surprised if there's some kind of classified Monitor/Merrimac river boat thats semi-submersible. Lets say you wanted to carry ammo upriver, I suppose if you trust there's no mines (and mining a river is unlikely for a variety of reasons) then some crewed semi-sub or barely submerged drone is unlikely to be blown up by fire from shore.
Also I was in the Army and people collect weird stories (me especially I guess) and our Army does have a larger naval force than some small countries. Well, really small countries, anyway. River boats captained by warrant officers mostly. I believe there's at least three independent units. Supposed to be one of the best postings/MOS out there in terms of coolness. Civilians think SF is the coolest or Delta or whatever, but from the inside the "cool" units/MOS with cool missions are usually something else. Imagine how cool it would be to serve on a riverboat...
I suppose its not as ridiculous of a situation as it could be, when you consider the entire military has organic trucks, rifles, computers... Nobody's ever proposed "The Truck Force".
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RamiK on Thursday June 29 2017, @01:29PM (3 children)
Actually, most British and ex-British colonies', as well as other forces have a separate logistics corps\branch:
Canada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistics_Branch [wikipedia.org]
England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Logistic_Corps [wikipedia.org]
Australia: Strategic Logistics Branch
India: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Army_Service_Corps [wikipedia.org]
Israel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistics_Corps [wikipedia.org]
China(PRC): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistic_Support_Department_of_the_Central_Military_Commission [wikipedia.org] (before 2016: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Liberation_Army_General_Logistics_Department) [wikipedia.org]
I think it's the same for France and Russia but haven't looked to hard. Often enough, these organs are administrative branches as well and are responsible for issuing salaries, handling procurements and keeping inventories. Each military distribute authorities differently. But, at the very least, roll calls are supervised by a separate officer that's stationed at the base so a field commander won't refuse sending injured man back to hospitals* or report casualties as still alive to keep receiving rations. Naturally, this extends to vehicles, fuel and parts which is why many armies combine those two functions into one branch.
compiling...
(Score: 2) by tibman on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:30PM
The US Army has the logistics branch. AKA the wheel of shame.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 3, Informative) by EvilSS on Thursday June 29 2017, @03:12PM (1 child)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @07:49PM
USTRANSCOM coordinates requests that go through the DoD but there's no direct chain of command to the actual forces. That's is, if a USTRANSCOM officer says "take a right" to an Army truck driver while his direct officer tells him to "take a left", he takes a left.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @04:47PM
> Imagine how cool it would be to serve on a riverboat...
FFC already imagined that for us, just watch "Apocalypse Now", the long version is highly recommended,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_Now_Redux [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by tibman on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:28PM
Haven't seen a snorkeling tank then?
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:29PM (1 child)
Considering at least 70%* of major offensive naval operations in last few decades have been air-craft carrier bombardments, just a fair portion, let alone a significant portion, would be 70% pilots. Obviously, this is impossible in practice seeing how pilots have no clue how to drive those boats... Still, naval aviators are no way near significantly represented in the command structure as they should be based on their contributions.
*Ass-pulled guesstimate based on how many carriers are out there as opposed to gun-ships and what nots. Unless, of course, the navy been busy sinking enemy boats with torpedoes and cannons in some unknown war...
(Score: 2) by Geezer on Thursday June 29 2017, @06:48PM
Senior aviators do get a little ship-driving experience. CVN's are always captained by aviators.
While the airedales have done *most* of the hot war fighting since WW2, the sheer relative size of the surface and submarine forces ensures an eclectic mixture.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Thursday June 29 2017, @03:35PM
It really seems to me that the Air Force is just a relic of the Cold War, and based on the ridiculous and obsolete idea of eliminating the Navy altogether and just using nuclear-tipped ICBMs for warfare. A while back, the US really did try to mostly eliminate the Navy, because the doctrine was that a big Navy wasn't needed thanks to long-range bombers and ICBMs. Then the Korean War happened and that doctrine was proven wrong and stupid.
IMO, the Air Force should just be eliminated as a separate branch, and folded back into the Army as it once was. No other nation has a separate "air force"; it's just part of their army. There's too much need for close air support in today's military engagements on land, so it really should be all part of the same branch for efficiency.
I also think the Marines should be eliminated as a separate branch, and folded entirely into the Navy. Marines having their own ships (and mini aircraft carriers!) is just ridiculous; that's the job of a "navy".
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday June 29 2017, @10:56AM (3 children)
Air Force has the X-37B [wikipedia.org].
If a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane [wikipedia.org] gets built, I couldn't see the Navy using it for anything relevant.
Air Force will have their Space Corps around for a while until such time that the Space Corps is no longer a gimmick (decades or even a century), and then it will spin off into its own branch... of the UN world government aaaaarrrrgggghhh!
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @12:24PM (2 children)
I was hoping they were building an X-303 [wikia.com].
(Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Thursday June 29 2017, @12:57PM (1 child)
I'd prefer the BC-304 with the Asgard beam weapons and a fully loaded ZPM.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @01:17PM
Gotta walk before you run... there aren't replicators on the way, are there?
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:23PM
(Score: 4, Insightful) by kaszz on Thursday June 29 2017, @09:25AM
Too late, someone already thought about this in 1979 and called the demonstration video "Moonraker" [youtube.com].
So much for not militarizing space. Welcome your new bureaucratic overlords, black budgets, reckless testing etc. Btw the two persons that led this are part of the subcommittee for Strategic Forces. So it may be concluded this is part of some strategy for the future.
What developments by adversaries are they specifically concerned about?
"crippling organizational and management structure and an acquisition system that has led to delays and cost-overruns" aka ULA and NASA? ;-)
Time to update the Y.M.C.A [lyricsdepot.com] lyrics? :p
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @10:37AM (1 child)
Not sure if I'd want to be a Space Cadet.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @12:28PM
Why not? Service guarantees citizenship!
(Score: 4, Interesting) by VLM on Thursday June 29 2017, @11:46AM (2 children)
Civies think "way cool, I can't wait to sign up for Battlestar Galactica for real"
Military and IT people know that "is intended to manage national security in space" means its Mordac the information preventer, denying your firewall requests in space. "Look sgt all I want from you is my satphone online so I can call in artillery strikes" "So sorry, but no fucks to give, let me transfer you to our call center in India you have to fill out 57 forms and don't forget this permission slip your mom has to sign"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday June 29 2017, @03:35PM
EmDrive 2.0 could make it for real. It's up to you to determine whether that's an imposhiburu drive pro or con.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday June 30 2017, @12:37AM
Wow, yeah, Space command. You think it's gonna be like Star Wars with your pew-pew-pew TIE fighters, but in reality you will be sitting on your ass and wearing uncomfortable dress blues every day with a 90's-era XP or Linux terminal in front of you, in a terrestrial Earth command center monitoring blips on a few big flatscreens. The most exciting part of your day is when you detect a piece of space junk which will travel within 300 Kilometers of one of your 128 mundane communications satellites.
USAF Space Command has already been around since 1982. [wikipedia.org] This is not news. Even if the Space Command becomes its own branch in the year 2525, the precedent for such a split has already been seen in the US Army Air Force and probably in other foreign analogs.
(Score: 4, Funny) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:51PM (1 child)
20+ replies and not one smegging Red Dwarf reference? Shame!
Space Corps Directive 349 : Any officer found to have been slaughtered and replaced by a shape-changing chameleonic life form shall forfeit all pension rights.
Space corps directive 5796: No officer above the rank of Mess Sergeant is permitted to go into combat with pierced nipples.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday June 29 2017, @10:50PM
Well, I'm glad somebody else noticed that absence. Although this one is a bit dated:
Of course, some are very relevant:
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by meustrus on Thursday June 29 2017, @02:58PM (1 child)
Military geopolitics is an arms race. The strength of our military is to be judged against our potential adversaries, not against some theoretical absence of force or yesterday's military. Given these two facts, every attempt we make to strengthen our position must be counterbalanced against the likely response from our adversaries.
Will this make us safer? Nobody else has Space Marines yet. We can be the first, but we won't be the only ones for long. Not only that, but being first sets us up as the de facto "bad guy", the Evil Empire that represents the status quo of space. Later Space Marines will be moralized by thoughts of righteous rebellion, of protectorship, of defiance. Ours will need to demonize non-American voices to push back questions of whether they are Storm Troopers.
If you really want to increase our military strength in space, you must do it secretly. Our enemies must not expect the Long Gun of the Apocalypse waiting for their pathetic excuse for a space-based first strike.
Too bad for the warmongers you can't score political points for secrets.
If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 29 2017, @05:20PM
https://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html [ratical.org]
"WAR is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."
That eassy was written by:
Smedley Darlington Butler
Born: West Chester, Pa., July 30, 1881
Educated: Haverford School
Married: Ethel C. Peters, of Philadelphia, June 30, 1905
Awarded two congressional medals of honor:
capture of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1914
capture of Ft. Riviere, Haiti, 1917
Distinguished service medal, 1919
Major General - United States Marine Corps
Retired Oct. 1, 1931
On leave of absence to act as
director of Dept. of Safety, Philadelphia, 1932
Lecturer -- 1930's
Republican Candidate for Senate, 1932
Died at Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, June 21, 1940
For more information about Major General Butler,
contact the United States Marine Corps.
(Score: 2) by tekk on Thursday June 29 2017, @11:00PM
Isn't there the small matter of the Outer Space Treaty? Doesn't the very idea of creating a branch of the military, but specifically concerned with space contravene that little clause nobody cares about how you aren't allowed to militarize space?
(Score: 2) by snufu on Friday June 30 2017, @01:31AM
Travel to exotic, distant worlds; meet exciting, unusual aliens, and kill them.