Yes, a force is require to set an object in motion.
Explanation:
In space, even if you feel weightless, you are subject to motion. If you are orbiting the Earth, you are under the constant influence of Earth having a free-fall acceleration equal to the centripetal acceleration.
To disturb this orbital motion, an external force is required.
According to Newton's laws of motion, a force is required to change the state of the rest of a body or to change the velocity or direction if it is moving with uniform velocity along a straight line.
Whenever there is a change in velocity or direction of a body there is a force acting on it.
