The Department of Defense on Friday released a plan for President Trump’s proposed Space Force, asking Congress for $2 billion to fund it over the next five years.
The proposal, sent to Congress on Wednesday, stipulates that 15,000 space-related military and civilian personnel will be transferred from other areas of the Pentagon to the Space Force. DOD officials are asking for $72 million from the fiscal year 2020 budget and 200 people to launch a headquarters for the program, which is expected to cost approximately $500 million annually to maintain.
Last summer, President Trump ordered the Space Force to be established as a separate branch of the military, but earlier this month he reversed course, he signing a policy directive that placed it under the purview of the Air Force at least temporarily.
“Our approach follows President Trump‘s bold vision for space and commits resources to deliver more capability faster, ensuring the United States can compete, deter, and, if needed, win in a complex domain,” read a statement from acting secretary of defense Patrick Shanahan, who praised the move as “a strategic step towards securing America’s vital national interests in space.”
With Democrats now in control of the House, the plan is expected to struggle to pass Congress, as it is not popular among Democratic legislators.