Mitchell Institute Urges Space Force Moon Missions as 1967 Treaty Bars Military Activity
Updated
Updated · Gizmodo · May 26
Mitchell Institute Urges Space Force Moon Missions as 1967 Treaty Bars Military Activity
4 articles · Updated · Gizmodo · May 26
A new Mitchell Institute paper calls for a U.S. Space Force military human spaceflight program that could eventually place active-duty Guardians on the Moon and on orbital stations.
Retired USSF Colonel Kyle Pumroy argues China’s military-linked lunar push could let Beijing shape norms, standards and legal frameworks for the lunar economy unless the U.S. builds a durable Earth-to-Moon presence first.
The proposal runs up against the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans military activity on celestial bodies, but the paper says Washington should prepare in case that framework fails.
China has expanded its crewed space capabilities with the Tiangong station completed in 2022 and Shenzhou-23 launching three astronauts on Sunday, part of preparations for a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
The report points to a sharper turn in the U.S.-China space race, where competition over lunar resources and habitation is increasingly being framed in military as well as civil terms.
Is a war on the Moon now inevitable as the U.S. and China race to militarize space?
As military 'Guardians' prepare for the Moon, what does combat in space actually look like?
U.S.-China Lunar Race: Military Spaceflight, Treaty Challenges, and the Future of Moon Governance
Overview
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies urgently calls for a major shift in U.S. space policy, highlighting the need for a robust military human spaceflight program to maintain U.S. space superiority. This recommendation comes in response to China's rapidly advancing lunar ambitions and the risk of losing access to vital lunar resources. The Institute's policy paper argues that the U.S. Space Force must develop capabilities for its personnel to operate on the Moon and in space stations, which will require a significant increase in funding for military space activities. This approach aims to address emerging security and spacepower challenges in a new era of space competition.