The Most Disturbing Words in America’s New Space Strategy

March 25, 2018 – Two days ago President Trump revealed his America First Among the Stars space policy. Its focus is on American industry and knowhow in pursuing goals in space. But its most disturbing section of the strategy is entitled Peace Through Strength which includes the following:

“President Trump’s National Space Strategy recognizes that our competitors and adversaries have turned space into a warfighting domain.”

I’m not sure what adversary the President is referring to unless this is exclusively aimed at George W. Bush’s remaining members of the Axis of Evil: Iran and North Korea.

It goes on to state:

“While the United States would prefer that the space domain remain free of conflict, we will prepare to meet and overcome any challenges that arise.”

Further down it states that the United States space strategy will “strengthen deterrence and warfighting options.”

The peaceful use of outer space was a doctrine adopted by most of the nations of Earth just a few decades ago. Now the options to weaponize space in defense of the American way of life is built into the pillars of U.S. space policy in this administration.

This is just one more sad moment in world history as we see international cooperation in the exploration and development of space crumble.

Trump isn’t alone in making space a potential war zone. Both China and Russia have shown through actions and words that they too are speculating about fighting future Earth battles in outer space.

The words of Apollo 11’s plaque, left on the Moon in 1969, now ring hollow: “We came in peace for all mankind.”