Is the Space Force necessary?

Mark (No)

Let’s face it, The Space Force should actually be called The Space Farce, considering how truly asinine the entire concept is. Firstly, the 'department,' pulls resources and funding from more important matters such as say, Home Security. Aside from that, exactly what purpose does The Space Force serve that isn’t already afforded by The Air Force? In fact, The Space Force actually hinders the functionality of The Air Force. The United States Air Force is considered to be one of the most sophisticated and advanced in existence.

Therefore, establishing The Space Force at all is an exercise in redundancy. Ronald Reagan created The Air Force Space Command, during his presidency, which in theory is exactly what role The Space Force is to play. The problem is that having both coexisting within the same government is bound to create confusion. All of this is not even taking into account that The Space Force technically violates international law, or at the very least, strains foreign relations. At a time when the country’s relationship with Russia is as combustible as its ever been, “poking the bear,” seems ill-advised to say the least.

The Space Force claims that part of its purpose was to further space exploration. However, additional space exploration could create debris that causes damage to existing satellites. Lastly, one of the more divisive and controversial intentions of The Space Force is undefined and unproven. While many like to speculate on the presence of aliens and potential invasion, the hard truth is that we have no concrete evidence of such assertions. The hysteria that such conjecture can cause is exemplified by incidents in both Florida and Massachusetts, the latter of which was fatal.

Luke (Yes)

On October 31, 2023, the first recorded case of space warfare occurred as a Houthi Rebel missile from Yemen was shot down by an Israeli anti-missile system. Space, whether we acknowledge it or not, has become a new theater of warfare. 

While space warfare may be novel, the United States currently maintains numerous critical assets in space, notably communication and GPS satellites that are integral to both national security and everyday life. The increasing ability of other nations and corporations to deploy space technology demands the need for a military presence to safeguard US space assets and ensure operational superiority in the event of an open conflict. 

While space assets have historically been handled by the US air force, having an independent branch for space grants the Space Force the ability to make strategic decisions focused solely on space operations allowing for more effective planning and resource allocation. This allows the Space Force to commit to activities such as the detection and prevention of additional space-based threats (like comets or asteroids) that could potentially impact Earth. 

Beyond the immediate defense needs, the Space Force, like NASA, will be a driving force in the rapid development of space technology. The creation of the Space Force opens up new job opportunities with the demand for skilled professionals in various fields related to space technology.

Finally, the Space Force is in a unique position to set a baseline for how countries should act in space militarily. Its existence and operations help establish norms and standards for space conduct, which are essential as more nations are becoming space-capable.

The United States Space Force represents a strategic, protective, and innovative leap in dealing with the challenges and opportunities that space presents. Its establishment is a necessary response to the evolving dynamics of space as a domain of national, strategic, and economic importance.