Donald Trump announcing the idea of a Space Force as a sixth branch of the U.S. military led to all kinds of punchlines, but Neil deGrasse Tyson says the idea itself isn’t necessarily bad.

It’s really the circumstances surrounding it we should be asking questions about.

He explained it to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria:

As he makes clear, it’s not that a Space Force couldn’t be useful, but some of the tasks it would likely have could be handled by our Air Force right now. And it’s not like the generals there are asking for help. Yet.

So be cautious. Ask questions about it. Don’t dismiss it offhand. But at the same time, there’s plenty of reason to be wary of any massive project like this pushed by a Republican administration that doesn’t really give a damn about science.

