Space Force 2026 budget: an $11B boon or bubble?

The U.S. Space Force emerged as one of the near-term winners of Washington’s budget battles. A proposed $39.9 billion for fiscal year 2026 is a jaw-dropping $11.3 billion jump from last year. This funding windfall, which defense officials have dubbed “one budget, two bills,” comes from two sources: $26.1 billion in traditional discretionary spending and a whopping $13.8 billion in mandatory funding from a massive July 4 reconciliation bill.