Hawkish members of the United States Congress are proposing the United States Armed Forces be reorganized to create a new "Space Force" at par with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

This new military branch will prosecute any war or military operation involving the United States in space, which is defined as the void surrounding the Earth with a distance ranging from 100 km to 32,000 km above sea level.

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Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican congressman from Alabama and chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, said he envisions a "separate Space Force within the Department of Defense, just like the Air Force, which had to be separated from the Army in order to be prioritized and become a world-class military service."

"Simply put, space must be a priority and it can't be one if you jump out of bed in the morning thinking about fighters and bombers first."

As a first step towards creating this new service, Rogers proposes organizing a "Space Corps" under the Air Force. He said the Air Force needs a separate Space Corps to handle military operations in space as a first step in creating a completely separate military branch.

Rogers said the Space Corps will be the first step in removing space operations from the Air Force and moving it into an independent branch of the military.

"My vision of the future is a separate space force within the Department of Defense," said Rogers.

The transition process will start to take shape "in my subcommittee's mark this year and next," he said.

Rogers, however, noted the Air Force isn't structured to educate and elevate a future generation of space leadership. He wants professionals to head the future Space Force.

"How can we have the world's best national security space program if we don't grow and retain the best men and women to lead it, and give them the budget and authority they need?"

TagsUnited States Congress, United States Armed Forces, Space, Rep. Mike Rogers, Space Force, Space Corps