Space Force needs to prepare for an ‘in-person’ moon conflict with China, new report argues
Guardians need a human spaceflight program for future lunar missions, Mitchell Institute says.
The increasing near-term prospect of human missions to the Moon by multiple nations, particularly China, is driving urgent calls for military preparedness and strategic planning.
This report highlights the escalating geopolitical competition extending into literal off-world territory, necessitating re-evaluation of military doctrines and significant investment in new space capabilities.
The explicit discussion of 'in-person' lunar conflict elevates the Moon from a scientific exploration target to a potential theater of military operations, demanding a human spaceflight component for national security.
- · Space Force
- · Defense contractors (aerospace, human spaceflight)
- · US space industry
- · Military human spaceflight programs
- · Opponents of space weaponization
- · Purely scientific lunar exploration initiatives
- · Budgets for non-military space applications
Increased funding and strategic focus on developing US human spaceflight capabilities specifically for military and defense purposes.
An accelerated space arms race, potentially leading to international treaties or, conversely, rapid militarization of lunar and cislunar space.
The establishment of a permanent human military presence on the Moon, influencing resource claims and orbital dynamics around Earth.
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Read at Defense One