WATCH: Vice President Mike Pence Details U.S. Space Command at Kennedy Space Center
By Space Coast Daily // December 19, 2018
SPACEX LAUNCH RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY
WATCH: U.S. military operations in space are back under a single unified command after President Trump ordered the Defense Department on Tuesday to revive the once-retired U.S. Space Command. Vice President Pence outlined the plan during a visit to Brevard County’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday.
BREVARD COUNTY • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA – U.S. military operations in space are back under a single unified command after President Trump ordered the Defense Department on Tuesday to revive the once-retired U.S. Space Command.
Vice President Pence outlined the plan during a visit to Brevard County’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday.
“Today, there are more than 18,000 military and civilian personnel working in space operations for our national security all across the Department of Defense,” Pence said.
The vice president added that under Trump’s directive, Space Command will “integrate space capabilities across all branches of the military; it will develop the space doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures that will enable our warfighters to defend our nation in this new era.”
“A new era of American national security in space begins today,” he said.
As Pence began his remarks in Florida, the White House made the move official by releasing an executive memorandum from Trump to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis establishing the Space Command. The same entity was first created in 1985, but it was merged into Strategic Command in 2002.
SPACEX LAUNCH RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY
SpaceX is now targeting Wednesday, December 19 for the launch of the United States Air Force’s first Global Positioning System III space vehicle from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
The 26-minute launch window will open at 9:07 a.m. ET. The satellite will be deployed to medium Earth orbit approximately 1 hour and 56 minutes after liftoff.
Due to mission requirements, SpaceX will not attempt to land Falcon 9’s first stage after launch.
The Falcon 9 rocket launch will carry the satellite and deploy it, shortly after liftoff.
GPS III will deliver innovative and resilient capability aligned with the Space and Missile Systems Center’s SMC 2.0 initiative.
SMC 2.0 focuses on speed, innovation, and partnerships with foreign allies and commercial space companies to deliver capability to the warfighter.
Coverage of the launch can be seen on Space Coast Daily TV
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