Where Does Trump's 'Space Force' Fit in the International Agreement on Peaceful Use of Space?

By Melissa de Zwart, University of Adelaide | June 22, 2018 07:20am ET

Overnight US President Donald Trump announced the establishment of a "Space Force" as a separate force of the US military.

Trump has indicated the reasoning behind the Space Force stems from national security concerns arising from the potential for renewed activities in space by China and Russia. Trump had previously referred to space as the "new warfighting domain."

It's not yet clear where this move sits in light of prohibitions laid out in the Outer Space Treaty, the document that has guided the the exploration and use of outer space by members of the United Nations since 1967.

In his recent announcement, Trump said:

When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space. So important.

More:
https://www.space.com/40959-trump-space-force-peaceful-use-outer-space.html