By Jamie McIntyre
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/jamie-mcintyre
A massive asteroid is on course to slam into Earth and cause a natural disaster of epic proportions.
Who are you going to call?
The Space Force? Or NASA?
It turns out that the planetary defense mission falls to NASA, which would deploy a spacecraft to attempt to knock the threatening space rock off course or, as a last resort, blow it up with a nuclear weapon.
On the other hand, if China or Russia were threatening to knock out one of America’s vital communications or navigation satellites, the U.S. Space Force would be the on-call responder.
If you watch the Netflix comedy spoof Space Force, you might think the nation’s newest branch of the armed forces will soon be sporting lunar gray crater-patterned camouflage and engaging in mock infantry battles on the moon.
“When do we expect to have boots on the moon? No idea. Certainly not in my career,” Space Force's Lt. Gen. David Thompson, who spoke at a Defense One event this month, said.
America’s newest and smallest service, the motto of which is “Semper supra” ("always above"), has a much more down-to-earth mission. Its 16,000 members operate largely from terra firma with the job of protecting America’s orbiting assets while coming up with new ways to outmaneuver and defeat adversaries who threaten them.
Putting satellites in space? That’s a Space Force mission.
“We operate capabilities like GPS satellites, like communications satellites, weather satellites, missile warning satellites to detect any missiles that might threaten the United States,” Gen. John Raymond, chief of space operations, said.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/space-force-and-nasa-sort-out-whos-defending-the-planet-from-threats-from-the-heavens-and-on-earth