Trump’s Space Force may protect assets worth billions of dollars: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson told FOX Business that President Trump’s Space Force plan is not a farfetched idea because it will help protect billions of dollars of assets in space.

“This idea is not completely crazy, and it’s been around for a while,” Tyson said during an interview on “After the Bell” on Thursday.

Vice President Mike Pence announced that the Pentagon plans to launch a Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. military.

“The time has come to establish the United States Space Force,” Pence said on Thursday.

Tyson said he wants the government to add a defense mechanism to its Space Force that will protect us against killer asteroids.

“Why don’t you check out asteroids to see if one has our name on it and could render us extinct,” he said. “And don’t just tell us that we will become extinct. Do something about it.”

The author of “Accessory to War” said the threat of space debris is also a major concern because it could interfere with commerce.

The Space Force would be created by 2020 with a U.S. Space Command led by a four-star office.

“We’ve been in space for 50 years, 60 years, and so this would simply be a bureaucratic addition to the U.S. government,” Tyson said.