As multiple nations have exploration crosshairs on Earth’s Moon, there’s also increasing discussion of the military utility of cis-lunar space and lunar territory too.

Moon expert, Paul Spudis of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, has written this reflective piece:

 

The Moon’s Role in the New U.S. Space Force – The military implications of a lunar return

Go to:

https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/moons-role-new-us-space-force-180970056/#5FfoR1gEBiFxkZDD.99

Also, go to this 21st Century Technology story:

Holding the Moon: The High Ground of Space

Go to:

http://www.21stcentech.com/holding-moon-high-ground-space/

U.S. President Donald Trump holds up the Space Policy Directive – 1 after signing it, directing NASA to return to the Moon, alongside members of the Senate, Congress, NASA, and commercial space companies in the Roosevelt room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017.
Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Assets in space

Meanwhile, a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) document says that, as a constitutional matter, it will be up to Congress to determine whether and how to reorganize the management of US national security assets in space, and whether to establish a new “space force,” as the Trump Administration has proposed.

“The constitutional framework appears to contemplate that the role of establishing, organizing, regulating, and providing resources for the Armed Forces belongs to Congress, while the President is in charge of commanding the forces Congress has established using the funds Congress has provided,” CRS said in a new publication.

Go to:

Toward the Creation of a U.S. “Space Force”

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/IF10950.pdf

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