TRUMP SPACE FORCE PLAN IS GROUNDED IN REAL NEEDS BUT HAZY

With his demand that the Pentagon create a new military service — a Space Force to assure “American dominance in space” — President Donald Trump has injected urgency into a long-meandering debate over the best way to protect U.S. interests in space, both military and commercial.

At the same time, his approach has left many struggling to understand the basics, such as what a Space Force would do and how much it might cost.

The Pentagon is expected to have enough details filled out by early next year to include a Space Force plan in its 2020 budget request to Congress. Until then, the idea has taken on a life of its own at