● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
Pentagon explores deploying military satellite constellation around the Moon
Key points
- Pentagon seeks information for lunar satellite constellation.
- Space Force previously indicated interest in lunar operations.
- Executive order on space policy includes cislunar threat detection.
- US and China are increasing lunar program activities.
Pentagon's Lunar Satellite Initiative
The US military has published a Request for Information (RFI) on a federal procurement website, indicating its interest in deploying a "proliferated cislunar constellation." This constellation would consist of an unspecified number of satellites operating in the vicinity of the Moon for an undisclosed mission.
Shift in Military Space Strategy
This announcement aligns with recent statements from Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy, the Space Force’s acquisitions chief for advanced programs, who has indicated the military's growing focus on extending its operations to the Moon. Currently, the Space Force's most distant satellites are in geostationary orbit, approximately 36,000 kilometers above the equator, primarily for surveillance and missile warning.
Purdy noted a change in Pentagon leadership's perspective on the Moon, influenced by an executive order signed in December by President Donald Trump. This order outlined the Trump administration’s space policy, including provisions for detecting and countering threats to US space interests from low-Earth orbit to cislunar space, the region around the Moon.
Protecting US Interests in Cislunar Space
Military officials emphasize that the Pentagon's role at the Moon is to safeguard US interests as both the United States and China accelerate their lunar programs. Both nations are planning a series of robotic missions, with crewed lunar landings anticipated in the coming years.
Some US officials foresee potential competition for lunar resources and real estate, particularly concerning the limited number of safe landing zones that can access water ice at the Moon's south pole.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
The US military issued a Request for Information for a "proliferated cislunar constellation" of satellites near the Moon. This initiative follows Space Force statements about extending military reach to the Moon, driven by a presidential executive order on space policy and increasing US and Chinese lunar programs.