What's Happening?
National security space experts are urging the U.S. Space Force and the Pentagon to strengthen ties with the Intelligence Community and NASA to maintain a competitive edge over China in space capabilities.
This call for collaboration was highlighted during a Washington Space Business Roundtable event, where experts emphasized the importance of an 'intersectoral strategy' to protect U.S. interests in cislunar space, the region between Earth and the Moon. The strategy would focus on the geopolitical and economic significance of lunar and Mars Lagrange points. The U.S. is currently pursuing various lunar exploration missions, including NASA's Artemis program, which aims for a crewed lunar landing by 2027. Meanwhile, China is advancing its own lunar ambitions, with plans for a crewed Moon mission by 2030.
Why It's Important?
The development of a comprehensive interagency strategy is crucial for the U.S. to safeguard its interests in space, particularly as China seeks to establish dominance in space governance. The geopolitical stakes are high, as control over cislunar space could influence future space exploration and resource utilization. The U.S. stands to benefit from enhanced collaboration between its civil, intelligence, and defense sectors, as well as increased engagement with the private sector. Failure to act could result in China setting the rules for space governance, potentially challenging U.S. sovereignty and strategic interests.
What's Next?
The U.S. government is expected to continue developing its space domain awareness and navigation capabilities, with the Space Force's Oracle program planning to launch situational awareness satellites. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency is also working on mapping infrastructure for lunar navigation. However, the success of these initiatives will depend on overcoming trust barriers between the military and commercial sectors, as well as the timely implementation of collaborative strategies. The outcome of these efforts will shape the U.S.'s ability to compete with China in the evolving space landscape.
