What is "Space Force"
The proposed sixth branch of the U.S. military will "confront the emerging threats in the boundless expanse of space" according to Pence.
Why do we need a "space force"
"The U.S. Space Force will strengthen security, ensure our prosperity and it will also carry American ideals into the boundless expanse of space," Pence said on Thursday. Pence said that the new military branch will be needed in order to protect American national security as the "space environment has fundamentally changed in the last generation."
"What was once peaceful and uncontested is now crowded and adversarial," said Pence. He added, "America will always seek peace, in space as on the Earth. But history proves that peace only comes through strength. And in the realm of outer space, the United States Space Force will be that strength."