The idea of space-faring soldiers might be something you'd expect to see in the likes of Aliens, Warhammer 40,000 or pretty much any sci-fi film you can think of, but it could soon be a reality.

One of the proposals in the 2018 Defence Authorization Act that's set to go before a full vote is the creation of a new branch of the military - the United States Space Corps. Yes, really.

The bill defines the USSC's duties as "providing combat-ready space forces that enable the commanders of the combatant commands to fight and win wars," with the Space Corps coming under the jurisdiction of the Air Force in the same way the Marines comes under the jurisdiction of the Navy.

While we're a long way away from seeing soldiers battling in outer space, the bill does have a lot of support, with the House Armed Services Committee voting 60 to 1 in favour of the bill that would see the Space Corps become a reality.

The US Air Force, however, is less enthused by the idea or the cool-sounding name. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson - herself a former Captain - has said that the creation of a separate branch of the military to handle space fighting "will make it more complex, add more boxes to the organizational chart, and cost more money."

Oh sure, ruin everyone's chance to be a Space Marine by bringing reality into it.

 

Via CNN