President Trump issued an executive order Tuesday creating a US Space Command to better advance the military’s operations in the cosmos — which could cost as much as $800 million over the next five years.
He signed the one-page memorandum authorizing the Department of Defense to create the new command.
“I direct the establishment, consistent with United States law, of United States Space Command as a functional Unified Combatant Command,” the order reads.
“I also direct the Secretary of Defense to recommend officers for my nomination and Senate confirmation as Commander and Deputy Commander of the new United States Space Command.”
Vice President Mike Pence will make the announcement later in the day at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, officials said.
The move is separate from the president’s goal of launching a “Space Force” as an independent branch of the military, but could be a step in that direction.
The command will oversee and organize space operations, accelerate technical advances and find more effective ways to defend American assets in space, including the vast constellations of satellites that US forces rely on for navigation, communications and surveillance.
Its establishment comes amid mounting concerns that China and Russia are working on ways to disrupt, disable or even destroy American satellites.