With the announcement of a sixth military branch called the Space Force, one wonders where this new branch will be headquartered and where the numerous daily operations will be located.
Will headquarters be located on the Space Coast at Cape Canaveral, or located at Johnson Space Center in Houston, or located on the Eglin facility? How exciting to finally see space exploration take flight.
With space being a universal domain and many countries desiring to "conquer" space, it makes sense to turn our attention to it.
Will space exploration be used for peaceful purposes or will it become weaponized? What type of testing is going on in space and how do we and other countries keep space debris from falling to earth? What will NASA's role be in this new military branch? These are all questions that need to be answered.
We don't need another space station rotating at approximately 254 miles from earth, so what are the goals? Will we see space flights from earth to a lunar space station available to daring explorers? Do we have the desire to explore space? With SpaceX, Blue Origin and the SpaceShip Company taking reservations for space flights, space exploration seems to be anticipated by many. One stated goal is to send astronauts back to the moon.
Not much is known about the Space Force. We do know that this new branch would absorb the duties of the Air Force's Space Command.
Presumably, some of the leadership from this division would be transferred to the new branch.
Sen. Bill Nelson is against this new branch, as he feels that space exploration and oversight belong to the Air Force. On the other hand, the House Armed Services Committee voted 60 to 1 to approve the Space Corps. This will mean the Air Force is no longer overseeing the domain of space.
The financial aspect should be taken into consideration as it will cost millions of dollars.
If there is a possibility that the main operations could be located on part of the Eglin facility, it would certainly help our local economy with many new jobs.
No matter where the facility is located, there should still be local contractors working on this project, which will stimulate our local economy. Hopefully, Crestview and the surrounding area will get many new jobs.
Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Space exploration may increase local jobs