Mitchell Institute Paper Urges U.S. Military Human Spaceflight for Lunar Advantage

A policy paper released by the Mitchell Institute calls for the United States to place military personnel on the moon to counter China’s space activities. The document states that China’s human spaceflight program is led by the People’s Liberation Army and could secure advantages in lunar access, infrastructure, and resources.

Background on U.S.

Space Policy

U.S. policy that separates NASA’s civil space activities from military space programs under Title 10. It also questions Washington’s long-standing support for the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits territorial claims and military occupation of the moon and other celestial bodies.

Kyle Puma, a retired Space Force colonel and senior resident fellow at the Mitchell Institute, presented the findings. He said future American space security is at risk because China’s military-led human spaceflight program is positioning the People’s Liberation Army to achieve strategic advantage in lunar access, infrastructure, and resources.

Puma described the lunar race as the first stage of a longer competition without a fixed finish line. He said success requires the ability to conduct and defend on-orbit activities over long durations, including routine transportation, sustained logistics, resource extraction, power generation, human habitation, and infrastructure protection.

The paper asserts that competition for control of the moon is likely to reach a tipping point that could lead to conflict. It frames the current situation as an enduring contest for strategic positional advantage in space between the United States and China.