Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2019 THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS ESTABLISHING THE UNITED STATES SPACE COMMAND TO ADVANCE AMERICAN INTERESTS AND DEFEND OUR NATION “When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space.” – President Donald J. Trump ESTABLISHING SPACE COMMAND: Today, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, the Secretary of Defense established the United States Space Command to ensure space superiority. The United States Space Command strengthens our ability to deter conflict and ensure unfettered access to, and freedom to operate in, space. United States Space Command will be established as the newest unified combatant command under the Department of Defense and will include forces from all Military Services. United States Space Command will consist of military personnel, civilian employees, and contractors. The new unified combatant command will accomplish strategic objectives and enhance the capability of our military to protect America’s dominance in space by: Employing assigned forces from every branch of the military to achieve vital victories in space. Delivering combat power by operating superior space capabilities such as communications, intelligence, navigation, and early missile detection and warning. The establishment of United States Space Command represents a crucial step to improving the Nation’s space warfighting structure in our ever evolving world. PROTECTING AMERICAN INTERESTS: United States space capabilities are critical to the advancement of American interests and the safety of the Nation. The United States is reliant on space for everything from vital military systems that protect us to widely used consumer systems that benefit our economy. We have the strongest military in the world, but failure to act now may allow our adversaries to overcome our competitive advantage by denying us access to the space domain. America’s private industry is developing technologies that are rapidly changing the vast economic potential of space. Going forward, the United States must have the freedom to take advantage of the untapped opportunities that space presents to our Nation. PUSHING AMERICA FARTHER: The Trump Administration has prioritized advancement in space capabilities and exploration to protect the Nation and push America farther into the future. President Trump signed a directive calling for the United States Space Force – a sixth branch of the Armed Forces – to protect America’s national security interests in space. The United States Space Force will organize, train, equip, and present forces to United States Space Command and other combatant commands for joint warfighting. In 2017, President Trump directed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to go back to the Moon and pursue human exploration of Mars. Last year, the President released his National Space Strategy, which recognized our adversaries’ goals that put the United States at risk and charted a path forward to maintain America’s dominance in space. President Trump revived the National Space Council to develop modern national space policy.