Hey fellows, recently I came across information about a new 'Space Branch' in the military. Isn't space exploration typically handled by NASA? I'm a little confused here, can anyone shed some light on what's going on? Is this really a new branch in the military or is there some sort of collaborative work with NASA?
Yes, there is indeed a branch of the United States military that deals with space operations. It's known as the U.S. Space Force, and it was officially established in December 2019. The Space Force is the sixth branch of the U.S. military, joining the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
Its purpose is to organize, train, and equip personnel to protect U.S. and allied interests in space. Some of the tasks the Space Force takes on include monitoring ballistic missile launches, tracking space debris, and maintaining satellites that allow the other branches of the military to communicate.
Although it might sound like it has overlap with NASA, the Space Force isn't focused on exploration. Instead, its mission is more about security, ensuring a safe environment for U.S. operations in space, and deterring aggression in, from, and to space. NASA, on the other hand, is a civilian agency focused on exploration and scientific research. But certainly, both organizations do work in related fields and likely cooperate on certain matters.
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