It also plans at least three additional robotic missions, beginning in 2024, to build a lunar base, with missions involving taikonauts to follow. Some leading military strategists, however, say there is simply too much at stake in the space race to leave it to civilians, and that the Pentagon will likely be compelled to take on a bigger role.Ĭhina’s space agency has made significant strides in its plan to develop the moon, including landing the first spacecraft on the south pole in 2019. “But once we move to the moon, this should really be driven by civilian organizations to ensure that peaceful purposes are maintained,” he said. In all, the newest branch believes nation-states and commercial companies will fly nearly 100 missions - both crewed and uncrewed - to the moon between now and 2030.īut space policy and security experts also fear that the armed forces could outstrip NASA in space exploration and thrust what has largely been a peaceful competition into a military contest.Īaron Boley, co-director of Outer Space Institute at the University of British Columbia, says the Pentagon already plays an outsized role in Earth orbit, where satellites are used to support military operations and global security. The Pentagon maintains these new pursuits, all launched since the creation of the Space Force three years ago, are primarily designed to help secure a growing private space economy and safeguard civilian astronauts. “From the Space Force’s perspective,” he added, “they don’t know how big of a deal this is going to be in the future, but it could be a big deal.”
He likened it to “putting the toe into the water, but we think this is an important potential future tech area.” Eric Felt, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.
“That’s basically the first significant chunk of money that we’re putting towards this,” said Space Force Col.
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