It has been more than 70 years since the United States Air Force was established as a major military command structure in 1947. As of Aug 29, the US has added another major command to the Department of Defense—the U. S. Space Command.
Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper said “Establishing the United States Space Command as a unified combatant command is the next critical step towards the creation of an independent Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.”
During the official ceremony, President Trump said, “As the newest combatant command Space Command will defend America’s vital interests in space ‒ the next warfighting domain.”
The U.S. is not the only country eyeing space as a base for defense operations. President Emmanuel Macron says that they plan to establish a Space Command within the French Air Force to establish and develop their space capabilities.