The push to create a military space service
began well before Trump entered the White
House. But his relentless advocacy dulled what
remained of opposition inside the Pentagon,
where some officials — especially in the Air
Force — believed a separate service was
unwarranted and duplicative. Gen. Charles Q.
Brown, who became the Air Force chief of staff
after Space Force was born, says it is time to stop
debating and instead focus on making the best
possible use of Space Force.
Biden has said little about the military’s role
in space, but he did bring with him to the
Oval Office a symbol of his interest in space
exploration — a moon rock brought home by
Apollo 17 nearly half a century ago.
Austin, the new defense secretary, has been
noncommittal on the question of keeping Space
Force. Asked by the Senate Armed Services
Committee prior to his confirmation hearing
whether he thought creation of the new service
was “warranted,” Austin demurred. He noted
dryly that Space Force emerged after years
of study by Congress and other groups. He
sounded unenthused.