U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to overhaul, if not totally scrap, many of Republican predecessor Trump's decisions, but the establishment of America's Space Force will not be one of them.
The futuristic-sounding program had the president's "blessing," according White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in a Reuters interview and that the new military branch is not about to disappear any time soon, Engadget said Friday.
The Space Force was envisioned as a separate branch of the U.S. military by Trump, who spoke eagerly about the need for a force to safeguard U.S. interests in near space and even honored its new flag during a ceremony in the White House.
The Space Force was carved out of the Air Force in December 2019. The branch has its own director for space operations, who like the chiefs of the five other military branches is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Space Force is responsible for defending military satellites and ground stations. It also operates GPS satellites that the USAF originally developed but made available for commercial use and has contributed at least $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology said.
"Thousands of men and women proudly serve in the Space Force ... as you know, it was created by Congress and any other steps would actually have to be taken by Congress, not by the administration," Psaki said in remarks quoted by Associated Press.
Critics have claimed the Space Force was more of a superficial endeavor than a meaningful new addition to American military might. It has even been mocked in U.S. talk shows, as has the force' use of the term "Guardians" for its service members.
However, it has conducted full-fledged military missions. For instance, it alerted U.S. forces in Iraq in January last year of inbound missiles that enabled them to take defensive measures, Gen. David Thompson, SF second in command, said.
Meanwhile, Psaki had been criticized by Republicans who accused her of being too dismissive of the newest branch of the military earlier this week.
Psaki apologized for saying "Wow, Space Force. It's the plane of today," following the backlash, as Biden confirmed his administration remains firmly behind it.
