Outer space

Hawaii Military Plans for Space Defense Race

U.S. military officials like to say that space is increasingly congested and contested.

The Defense Department already tracks over 20,000 objects in space, and that number is expected to increase dramatically as new sensors come online that are able to detect smaller objects.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the United States has 849 satellites in orbit -- 167 of which are military -- while China has 284; Russia, 152; and other countries combined have 672.

That sky-high communications crossroads may be the next battlefield, and the United States and other nations are now acting with haste to protect their space-based assets.

That priority was highlighted at a Chamber of Commerce Hawaii Military Affairs Council annual meeting Thursday at the state Capitol.

President Donald Trump in June directed the creation of a Space Force as a new service branch.