Success of Mars rover distracts from moon

For the last couple of weeks, our nation has been inundated with glowing news reports about the “incredibly exciting and successful” landing on the surface of Mars by NASA’s Perseverance rover.

As one who worked on space issues at the Pentagon, has written about space for over 30 years, and worked as a consultant to NASA and space contractors in the past, I am thrilled by this success and truly gratified to see any part of our critically important space program get some desperately needed attention.

Almost everyone is “over the moon” with the landing of Perseverance on Mars. But that’s precisely the problem.

As a nation, our main space focus should be entirely on the moon. As exciting as it may be, pouring billions of desperately needed taxpayer dollars into any near-term Mars program is not only the pursuit of fool’s gold, but detracts us from the immense financial and national security benefits of the moon.

As the success of the Mars Perseverance landing on Feb. 18 was sucking all the oxygen out of the space-exploration room, a critically important viewpoint was being articulated with regard to our nation, our security, and our relationship to the moon:

“There’s a significantly growing economy in space between here and the lunar surface (with) estimates of over $1 trillion over the next handful of years. It underpins every instrument of national power.”

That vital observation was made by four-star general John W. “Jay” Raymond, the Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force during the Air Force Association’s 2021 virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium on Feb. 25. While most of our media and political leaders may have ignored him, the military leadership of the People’s Republic of China would have been nodding their heads in total agreement.

Every aspect of China’s space program comes under the direct control of their military. A space program which has made control and domination of everything from the orbit of Earth to the surface of the moon a national priority.

There is a dangerous utopian fantasy which has taken root in the minds of some that humanity’s greed, flaws, or military ambitions somehow magically cease to exist once we cross from Earth’s atmosphere into the arena of space. As some may think that, the military space program of the People’s Republic of China is perfecting the targeting of U.S. satellites in low and geosynchronous orbit.

As stressed in a November 2020 U.S.China Economic and Security Review Commission report to Congress: “China views space as a critical U.S. military and economic vulnerability and has fielded an array of ... weapons capable of targeting nearly every class of U.S. space asset … It may be difficult for the United States to deter Beijing from using these weapons due to China’s belief the U.S. has a greater vulnerability in space.”

Echoing and expanding upon that reality, last year, the Defense Intelligence Agency released its “Challenges to Security in Space Report,” which confirmed that China already enjoys a massive upper hand in the militarization of space.

The landing of Perseverance on Mars was wonderful to witness. But when it comes to the national and economic security of the United States, it is but a shimmering and jeopardous distraction.

For the foreseeable future, Mars is extremely hard work. An initial manned roundtrip — until the promise of fusion engines is realized — would take approximately two years, expose the crew to increased radiation and risk, and cost upwards of $100 billion with no nearterm payoff for our nation.

Our moon is but three days away. Numerous energy, pharmaceutical and mining companies are eager to get there to set up profit-making enterprises. Detailed plans are already being devised to host those businesses and others within the lava tubes of the moon.

Soon, someone will be extracting trillions of dollars in profit from its vast resources while establishing military outposts. Ideology aside, with the Biden administration’s expected switch from U.S. preeminence in space to space-based climate-change research, it is less likely to be the United States.

What would our — or the world’s — reaction be to China landing its Taikonauts on the moon, planting their national flag, and instantly declaring it and all of its unrealized wealth and natural resources the sovereign territory of China under its direct military protection?

The military leadership of China hopes we ignore the question while remaining distracted by shiny objects on Mars.