Space Force uniform starts fight over which sci-fi show it copied, but everyone is united in hating the pants

The internet is arguing whether the US Space Force’s new dress uniforms ripped off the costume design from the Battlestar Galactica reboot, a Star Trek movie, or Star Wars – but everyone seems to agree the pants don’t fit right.

The Guardian Service Dress prototype uniform was introduced on Tuesday, at the Air Force Association’s Air Space & Cyber conference taking place in Maryland. It features grey trousers and a dark navy coat with a tall collar. The six buttons running diagonally across the right side symbolize the Space Force as the sixth branch of the US military, according to its commander, General John ‘Jay’ Raymond.

While the Space Force’s official Twitter account featured a cropped promotional photo of the uniform, enterprising journalists soon posted photos from the AFA conference stage showing them in their full glory…or not.

The photos immediately sparked discussion among space nerds online. The cut reminded some of the uniforms worn by the crew of the Enterprise in ‘Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan’.

Others said it reminds them more of Galactic Empire’s naval uniforms from the Star Wars franchise – even if the Space Force insignia was more Star Trek-inspired.

However, the fan favorite seemed to be Battlestar Galactica – specifically, the much more commercially successful 2003 reboot of the 1970s TV show.

There was also some disappointment that the 1960s designs of the original Star Trek didn’t make the cut.

Speaking of cut, however, everyone seemed united in pointing their blaster and phasers squarely at the ill-fitting trousers. An editor at Screen Rant called the pants “shapeless, saggy disasters” and the uniforms “as sloppy as the idiot who created the branch in the first place” – an apparent reference to former US President Donald Trump.

One British art history professor called their cut “abominable” and ranted about the lack of proper tailoring so they would fit the models.

This was ironic, because one of the models was Lieutenant-Colonel Alison Gonzalez, the Space Force’s deputy chief of strategy. Meanwhile, General Raymond said the force "started with the female design and then created the male prototype," rather than usual practice of doing it the other way around.

The US Space Force is the youngest branch of the US military, officially established in December 2019. It has been closely associated with Trump, and the Biden administration has mostly treated it as an afterthought.

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