Space News – Members of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee told Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Wednesday that they need more information about the long-term costs of the Pentagon’s new space organizations. They warned that failure to provide more detailed cost estimates could delay passage of an appropriations bill for the Defense Department for fiscal year 2020.
During a hearing on the Defense Department’s budget request, Subcommittee Chairman Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) said the panel is preparing to begin on May 15 its markup of the military budget for fiscal year 2020. He said appropriators want to ensure a budget is passed before the current fiscal year ends September 30, but warned the subcommittee is still missing key pieces of information about the cost of the proposed Space Force, as well as cost estimates for U.S. Space Command and the Space Development Agency.
The day before the hearing, an op-ed penned by Shanahan titled “It’s Time to Create an American Space Force” appeared in The Wall Street Journal. “Our proposal places the U.S. Space Force within the Department of the Air Force, similar to the way the Marine Corps resides within the Department of the Navy. The additional cost for the U.S. Space Force will be $72 million in the first year. This is a small price. America’s economic vitality and military strength depend on continued dominance in space,” Shanahan wrote.
