How the U.S. Can Stay Ahead of China in Space

"OPINION - Space has gone from frontier to front line. But despite this increased urgency and to remain first in flight, the Trump administration recently the Office of Space Commerce's budget. Additionally, NASA remains without a permanent leader and is struggling to select a new lunar lander for its Artemis missions. It's a dangerous place to be as America's adversaries are investing heavily in everything from spy satellites to landing on the Moon. Now is the time for the United States to prioritize investment in innovation and security."

"Space systems form a comprehensive network of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial assets that economic. America's space economy nearly $241 billion in direct gross economic output in 2023 while undergirding communications, energy, and financial services infrastructure. Space also remains at the of the American way of war, underpinning much of the country's precision-strike capabilities, and remains a key element of the Trump administration's plans to in the "Golden Dome" missile-defense system."

"In space, is seeking to the commercial market, develop dual-use platforms to execute military objectives, and undermine American infrastructure. Having spent billions to develop its space launch sector, China may use its statist model to strategically hollow out the American private satellite launch market, forcing firms to rely on Chinese infrastructure vulnerable to espionage."

"Beijing also remains to militarizing space, both to "blinding" attacks against U.S. space-based assets and as a means to achieve new precision-strike capabilities. Some of these capabilities have already been delivered to and Iran, allowing them to strike American interests and, in the case of the Iranian-backed Houthis using Chinese-provided targeting data, assets."

Space has shifted from frontier to front line as adversaries invest in satellites, lunar capabilities, and dual-use platforms. The Office of Space Commerce budget was recently cut and NASA lacks a permanent leader while struggling to select a lunar lander for Artemis missions. The U.S. space economy generated nearly $241 billion in direct gross output in 2023 and supports communications, energy, and financial infrastructure. Space systems underpin American precision-strike capabilities and missile-defense planning such as the "Golden Dome." China uses state-led investments to compete in launch services, create espionage vulnerabilities, and pursue measures to blind and militarize space while transferring capabilities to regional actors.

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