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A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 20 February 2019
Trump orders creation of Space Force, but within Air Force

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Mac Thornberry of Texas, tions. That means diploma-
Associated Press the senior Republican on cy.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- the House Armed Services Under a legislative propos-
dent Donald Trump on Committee, said Tuesday al being reviewed by the
Tuesday directed the Pen- that Trump’s approach is White House, the Space
tagon to develop plans to “an important step toward Force chief of staff would
create a new Space Force real reform of national se- work within the Air Force
within the Air Force, ac- curity space.” and also be a member of
cepting less than the full- Shanahan, a former long- the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the
fledged department he’d time Boeing Co. executive group of top uniformed mili-
wanted. who took over as acting tary leaders who advise the
Before signing a document defense secretary on Jan. president and defense sec-
instructing the defense sec- 1, had spearheaded Pen- retary. A civilian undersec-
retary to draft proposed tagon planning for a Space retary of the Air Force for
legislation, Trump said Force in his previous role as space would be appointed
space is the “future” and President Donald Trump pauses during a signing event for deputy defense secretary. by the president and con-
the “next step.” “Space Policy Directive 4” in the Oval Office of the White House, Shanahan has not shifted firmed by the Senate.
“We have to be prepared,” Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, in Washington. from the path that was set Cost estimates were not
he said in the Oval Office, Associated Press before Mattis resigned, and provided Tuesday. They are
flanked by Vice President It would be the first new Jim Mattis had publicly has stressed his interest in to be included in the 2020
Mike Pence, acting De- uniformed military service questioned the wisdom of keeping the Space Force budget proposal Trump is
fense Secretary Patrick since 1947, when the Air adding a separate service as economical as possible. expected to send to Con-
Shanahan and other top Force was created after for space. Mattis agreed, “It’s going to be small, as gress next month.
officials. World War II. however, that the Penta- small as possible,” Shanah- White House officials said
Trump initially said he want- The president’s lofty vision gon needed a more effec- an said last month, explain- seeing the Space Force be-
ed a Space Force that was for a Space Force became tive way of defending its ing his recommendation to come a separate military
“separate but equal” to a hit at his campaign ral- interests in outer space. Trump that a Space Force department remained a
the other military services. lies last year, with support- Mattis’ lack of enthusiasm be part of the Air Force. goal. But they said that, af-
The current proposal falls ers cheering and applaud- for creating a sixth military Some questioned wheth- ter hearing concerns from
short of that goal and fac- ing the mere mention of a service — after the Army, er having a Space Force Congress, a decision was
es some skepticism among military force devoted to Navy, Air Force, Marine would increase the odds of made to avoid going that
lawmakers. policing outer space. But Corps and the Coast Guard armed conflict in space. route at the outset since it
If approved by Congress, the idea encountered re- — was among his many dif- “There are much better would have meant spend-
the Space Force would be sistance both inside and ferences with Trump. He ways to protect satellites,” ing a lot of time building a
part of the Air Force, just as outside the administration has since resigned. said Laura Grego, a se- bureaucracy and not fo-
the Marine Corps is part of among those who ques- The House has been sup- nior scientist at the Union cusing on the mission.
the Navy. It would not have tioned the need and the portive of creating a Space of Concerned Scientists. The directive requires the
its own full-blown bureau- potential costs. Force within the Air Force, “Space security cannot defense secretary to con-
cracy, including a civilian Before Trump ordered the along the lines of what be achieved unilaterally duct periodic reviews to
secretary. It would instead Pentagon in June 2018 to Trump proposed on Tues- or solely through military determine when it would
have a Senate-confirmed begin laying the ground- day. Senate support is less means. It will require coor- make the most sense to pro-
undersecretary for space work for a Space Force, clear but seems likely to dination and cooperation pose a stand-alone Space
within the Air Force. then-Defense Secretary swing in Trump’s favor. Rep. with other spacefaring na- Force department.q

And now for the weather on Mars,

courtesy of new NASA lander

By MARCIA DUNN heit (minus 95 Celsius). Compare that with
AP Aerospace Writer Sunday’s coldest U.S. temperature: minus
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — And now 27 degrees (minus 3 Celsius) in Taylor Park,
for the weather on Mars: NASA’s newest Colorado.
lander is offering daily reports on the red Scientists need to know the local Mars
planet’s frigid winter. weather to determine if InSight’s seismom-
Starting Tuesday, NASA’s Jet Propulsion eter is registering real marsquakes or sim-
Laboratory is posting the highs and lows ply wind or pressure changes.
This Dec. 6, 2018 image made available by NASA shows the
InSight lander. The scene was assembled from 11 photos taken online , along with wind speed and atmo- InSight landed near the Mars equator in
using its robotic arm. spheric pressure from the InSight lander. November. NASA’s Curiosity rover also
Associated Press On Sunday, InSight recorded a high of gives weather updates, while roaming
2 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 17 Celsius) around Mars about 340 miles (550 kilome-
and a low of minus 138 degrees Fahren- ters) away.q