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Originally Posted by Requiem
Just had to chime in here with a little known fact. The Air Force already accomplishes 95%+ of space missions in the U.S. NASA has always been about furthering the human exploration/research of space and their mission explains that.
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Taking that further: in most every other country with *official* government-run space access, it is the military that runs the rocket programs. Russia has always had a separate Rocket Force.
Even in the US, the USAF ran a separate manned space program--with plans for their own space station--and until the shuttle era all astronauts were military and even then most Shuttle pilots and co-pilots were military. This will likely remain as log as extensive High-power jet experience remains a requirement for Space vehicle pilots and mission commanders. So in effect, even in the US, we are already well into the "Army Air Corps" era.
It will take a new, more developed, era of space operations before the mission needs change enough--from earth-based sorties to extensive space-based operations--before the need for an independent branch can be carved out of the USAF. And even then the most likely scenario is that the USAF will evolve into the USASF and then into the USSF. Institutionally, the USAF is not going to let anybody do unto them as they did to the Army.
