--- title: "Trump Signs Directive: Space Force Will Be Run By Air Force" description: "President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 4 (SPD-4) today, organizing all military space functions under a new Space Force." date: "2019-02-19" modified: "2019-02-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-force-air-force-bill" categories: - "Space" - "Space Force" tags: - "air force" - "donald trump" - "space force" - "the digest" --- # Trump Signs Directive: Space Force Will Be Run By Air Force ![President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 4 (SPD-4) today, organizing all military space functions under a new Space Force.]() *\Image: Pixabay/Tag Hartman-Simkins\* ## Space Force 2.0 U.S. President Donald Trump [signed a directive]() today that organizes all military space functions under a new Space Force. The Space Force will be run entirely under the current U.S. Air Force — at least for the time being. That means a future Space Force would function more like the Marine Corps, which is part of the Navy, than an entirely separate branch of the military — which is what the Trump administration [first suggested]() back in June. ## A More Popular Approach The news comes after Trump [signed an executive order]() in December, calling for the creation of a "U.S. Space Command" to streamline and consolidate space operations. The plans still have to receive Congress approval before its creation, but organizing it under the Air Force could be a way to warm lawmakers up to the idea, as [*Defense News* suggests](). ## Agreeable Idea *The* *Washington Post* [points out]() that the Directive could also be a more agreeable idea to the Pentagon as it would create far less bureaucracy. Today's news doesn't necessarily rule out future plans for a standalone Space Force military branch. But it could save military officials a headache in the near future. **READ MORE:** [Trump approves plan to create Space Force, but puts it under Air Force control, as Pentagon officials had wanted]() \[*The Washington Post*\] ***More on Space Force: [The US May Soon Have The World’s First Space Force]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()