Report Flags Lunar Mass Drivers as Dual-Use First-Strike Threat

A new American Foreign Policy Council report warns that deploying cargo catapults on the Moon—mass drivers—could be a dual-use technology enabling rapid, potentially undetectable first strikes. It outlines three dangers: direct ground impact from fired payloads, satellite destruction via tight-cone projectiles, and the ability to launch warheads exceeding current reentry limits with low heat signatures, raising concerns about a space-enabled arms race as nations seek a lunar foothold.