The Pentagon disputes Congressional Budget Office estimates of the long-term costs of the Trump Administration’s proposed space organizations, a DOD spokesman told Space News.
“The CBO estimates are based on different assumptions than the DOD’s legislative proposal,” spokesman Tom Crosson said in a statement.
“The CBO did not consult with DOD or evaluate the DOD space force proposal,” he said. “The department proposed a lean organizational structure for the space force that avoids significant bureaucratic growth by leveraging existing Air Force capabilities.”
A CBO report issued last week estimated DOD creation of a space force under the Air Force, a U.S. space command and the Space Development Agency would incur annual costs from $1.1 billion to $1.9 billion, plus another $1.8 billion to $4.7 billion in one-time costs.
“The establishment of the United States space force is a small investment to ensure American leadership in space, protect our $19 trillion economy that runs on space, and ensure space capabilities for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines,” Crosson added.
Space and Missile Systems Center photo by Van Ha
Snap of the Week
Naval Academy plebes climb the Herndon Monument, a tradition symbolizing the successful completion of the midshipmen’s freshman year. The class of 2027 completed the climb in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds. Navy photo by Stacy Godfrey
