In a bid to Expand Military Outreach, US to Launch Space Command Today :- The United States will officially launch the Space Command, also known as SPACECOM, on Thursday with a White House ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
US to Launch Space Command Today
The SPACECOM is a key step for the US military to establish a proposed sixth branch of the military known as the Space Force. U.S. Air Force Gen. John Raymond will serve as the first head of Space Command (SPACECOM). At launch, Raymond will lead 87 active units handling operations such as missile warning, satellite surveillance, space control, and space support, Gen. Joseph Dunford said at a meeting of the National Space Council earlier this month.
In a press conference on August 20, Vice President Mike Pence said, “The United States Space Force will ensure that our nation is prepared to defend our people, defend our interests, and to defend our values in the vast expanse of space and here on Earth with the technologies that will support our common defence for the vast reaches of outer space.”
He further added, “The United States Space Force will ensure that our nation is prepared to defend our people, defend our interests, and to defend our values in the vast expanse of space and here on Earth with the technologies that will support our common defense for the vast reaches of outer space.”
Trump had directed the Pentagon to create a sixth military branch in June 2018. He said that the establishment of the SPACECOM was crucial in protecting the country’s interests amid pressure from international rivals Russia and China.
Meanwhile, as per the former Deputy Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan, the SPACECOM will be different from the Space Force but they will work together.
He tweeted, “The Space Force will serve as a force provider for personnel, assets, and capabilities supporting space operations, while Space Command will serve as the operational command that will employ space capabilities and lead space operations. The differences between Space Force and US Space Command will largely parallel those of the other five military services and four functional combatant commands.”
