President calls for space force, signs space directive

During a meeting of the National Space Council on June 18, President Trump announced the creation of a sixth branch of the U.S. military, saying “I am hereby directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a Space Force.”

In his remarks, President Trump also announced that he is instructing his administration to embrace the budding commercial space industry, and stated “Now we are ready to begin the next great chapter of American space exploration.” He went on to speak more about American spirit and ingenuity before signing Space Policy Directive – 3, National Space Traffic Management Policy.

The goal of Space Policy Directive – 3 is that the United States “continue to lead the world in creating the conditions for a safe, stable, and operationally sustainable space environment.” As such, the Directive calls on executive departments and agencies to, among other activities:

• encourage and facilitate U.S. commercial leadership in science and technology, space situational awareness, and space traffic management science and technology;
• advance space situational awareness and space traffic management science and technology;
• improve space situational awareness data interoperability and enable greater space situational awareness data sharing;
• provide U.S. government-supported basic space situational awareness data and basic space traffic management services to the public;
• develop policies and regulations for future U.S. orbital operations;
• improve the U.S. domestic space object registry;
• mitigate the effect of orbital debris on space activities; and
• develop space traffic management standards and best practices.

For more information about the space force, please follow the links below.
Trump orders creation of independent space force — but Congress will still have its say, Defense News
Space Policy Directive-3, National Space Traffic Management Policy, White House
Remarks by President Trump at a Meeting with the National Space Council and Signing of Space Policy Directive-3, White House