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by Axios | 2.19.19

President Trump will sign a directive on Tuesday that will formally establish the early version of a U.S. Space Force, though he will stop short of creating a 6th branch of the armed services.

The big picture: The president's directive, known as Space Policy Directive 4, would create the Space Force as an armed service within the Air Force. It would designate a chief of staff for the Space Force, who would sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as an undersecretary of defense for space.

The order would stop short of, but keep the eventual goal of establishing a separate, 6th free-standing branch of the armed forces dedicated to space since requires congressional action, senior administration officials said on a press call.

What they're saying: Administration officials said the White House and Defense Department will submit a legislative proposal to Capitol Hill to form a 6th branch of the military, on par with the Navy and Air Force, that would be dedicated to space.

Congress must approve the funds for the Space Force and will play a major role in determining how it is structured.

In the meantime, the administration is moving to set up a unified combatant command for space that will be separate from the existing Air Force Space Command. The White House said it would not release a cost estimate for these changes until its Fiscal Year 2020 budget release next month.

Why it matters: The Trump administration says it's moving to create the Space Force in response to adversaries' increased space capabilities, particularly China.

The U.S. has long been dominant in space exploration and the military use of space, such as through spy satellites and a constellation of GPS satellites for navigation and weapons guidance.
Now, however, China and other countries are launching ambitious space programs, including military capabilities that could threaten American space assets.

Go deeper: Axios' deep dive on space

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