Trump’s unfinished business: An independent Space Force

In the complex world of military reorganization, few initiatives have generated as much debate in recent years as the U.S. Space Force, created during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term.

When the Space Force was established in December 2019, pragmatism prevailed over ambition. Rather than emerging as a standalone department, it was nested within the Department of the Air Force — a compromise necessary to navigate congressional concerns about bureaucratic bloat. Yet this arrangement, while expedient, was not meant to be permanent.

The groundwork for a Department of the Space Force was laid in Trump’s first term, with a January 2019 space policy directive explicitly stating that “As the United States Space Force matures, and as national security requires, it will become necessary to create a separate military department, to be known as the Department of the Space Force.” The directive instructed the defense secretary to conduct periodic reviews to assess and recommend the optimal timing for establishing a dedicated department.

The current structure has proved workable, noted Douglas Loverro, a key architect of the Space Force legislation. “But eventually, the Space Force has to have its own department.”

The Air Force’s operational support and infrastructure have facilitated the Space Force’s initial growth, but this dependence also constrains the development of its unique identity, Loverro said on a recent episode of The Downlink Podcast. “The Space Force needs to have a doctrine and a character and a culture that is not Air Force in nature.”

This isn’t about interservice rivalry, said Loverro. It’s about recognizing that space operations demand their own strategic framework, distinct from aerial warfare.

Enter DOGE

Creating an entirely new Pentagon department would contradict Trump’s rhetoric about reducing government bureaucracy.

This is where things could get interesting. Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — led by billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — could pave the way for Space Force independence by identifying offsetting cuts elsewhere and providing a framework to enable Space Force independence without expanding the defense bureaucracy.

Industry insiders speculate that DOGE would target acquisition organizations, particularly those viewed as impediments to faster-paced innovation and the adoption of commercial technologies. Reducing legacy procurement structures could theoretically fund a new Space Force department, though it hinges on resolving budgetary trade-offs.

This approach would satisfy Trump’s appetite for disruption and his skepticism of the defense establishment. It would also fulfill his original vision for the Space Force.

The timing may be particularly opportune, given growing geopolitical tensions in space. As space increasingly becomes a contested domain, with rival powers developing sophisticated counter-space capabilities, the need for focused space defense leadership grows more acute, analysts say.

Subordination strains

Some argue that subordinating the Space Force to the Air Force undermines its potential. Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, contends that a dedicated civilian leadership structure is essential for effectively advocating for space capabilities and doctrine.

“Since its creation, the Space Force has relied on ‘Mother Air Force’ for core functions — arguably to its own detriment,” Harrison said. He has advocated for the Space Force to establish independent legislative and public affairs offices, arguing that current arrangements prevent meaningful dialogue with Congress and dilute the service’s messaging. “The Space Force should not be filtering these messages through the Air Force, where it is inherently a secondary priority,” he added.

Peter Garretson, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, goes further, arguing that the Air Force’s organizational challenges are actively hampering America’s space strategy. “Space is currently getting short shrift,” Garretson stated. With the Air Force preoccupied with challenges like maintaining its aging fleet, he said, critical questions about America’s space vision and activities are perpetually sidelined.

These critiques underscore the thinking that the current organizational structure may need to change for the Space Force to achieve its potential, and that a fully independent Space Force would be a recognition that space has become a distinct warfare domain requiring dedicated leadership and focused strategic thinking.

The issue may find new life under the second Trump administration. And this time, the stars might align differently.

This article first appeared in the ‘On National Security’ commentary feature in the December 2024 issue of SpaceNews Magazine.