8 May 2024

The New Space Race

Chad Wolf

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik satellite into orbit and set off a decades-long space race rivalry with the U.S. It was a pivotal moment that galvanized America into action, spurring innovation and accelerating the development of our capabilities in space. In the end, our rigorous efforts paid off and America was the first to put a man on the moon in 1969. The triggering “Sputnik moment” was a wake-up call that brought about a course correction, and the U.S. eventually gaining, and maintaining, the lead in space.

Years later, we are at another crossroads facing an even more complex and turbulent global landscape. Amidst this backdrop, China, our most formidable adversary, is speeding ahead in its quest to become a military, economic, and technological superpower, capable of challenging democracy around the world. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) has clearly made dominance in space a universal imperative with significant advancements in space-based technology. As it was in 1957, this should be a warning call to all those concerned about America’s national security.


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