President Donald Trump will sign a directive on Tuesday that will formally establish the early version of a U.S. Space Force, though he will stop short of creating a 6th branch of the armed services.

The big picture: The president’s directive, known as Space Policy Directive 4, would create the Space Force as an armed service within the Air Force. It would designate a chief of staff for the Space Force, who would sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as an undersecretary of defense for space.

The order would stop short of, but keep the eventual goal of establishing a separate, 6th free-standing branch of the armed forces dedicated to space since doing so requires congressional action, senior administration officials said on a press call.

What they’re saying: Administration officials said the White House and Defense Department will submit a legislative proposal to Capitol Hill to form a 6th branch of the military, on par with the Navy and Air Force, that would be dedicated to space. Read More at Axios

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