‘Space force’ could propel SoCal’s aerospace industry
WASHINGTON — One of the big winners from President Donald Trump’s push for a new military service called “space force” may be one of his least favorite places — California.
Once the launchpad of the nation’s aerospace industry, Southern California stands to see a surge in government and industry jobs and billions of dollars in contracts for satellites and other technology if Congress approves the space force when it takes up the proposal next year, industry experts and former military officials said.
“You can’t just go out in the middle of Iowa and try to create a center for space,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Manhattan Beach, a retired Air Force officer. “So Southern California is very well situated” to get substantial benefits.
The extent of the benefits would depend on where the headquarters is located, how much is spent on new satellites and other space systems, and how many people and programs now in the Air Force and other existing armed services might be shifted to the new force.
Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis said last week that planners have just begun preparing cost estimates. “We’ve already commenced the effort, but I don’t want to give you an off-the-cuff number,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.
The biggest uncertainty is whether Trump or Congress would try to direct the rewards to other states. The president has visited California only once since taking office, and his administration has warred with Sacramento on fuel efficiency standards, clean air regulations, firefighting techniques and more.
“Southern California remains the largest concentration of space technology, including military space technology, in the United States,” said Loren Thompson, aerospace analyst with the Lexington Institute think tank, which receives money from major industry players, including Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp.
“But when you set up a new military service, you increase the impact of politics in ways that might not necessarily be good for California,” he added.