Mitchell Institute urges Moon-ready Space Force to deter China

A Mitchell Institute paper argues the U.S. should develop a military human spaceflight program and eventually station active‑duty Space Force personnel on the Moon and in orbital stations to deter China’s lunar ambitions, leveraging Title 10 authorities to defend space assets and establish norms, despite the Outer Space Treaty’s bans on militarization. The report cites China’s rapid progress with the Tiangong program and a projected crewed lunar landing by 2030, urging the U.S. to prepare for hard power in space and secure a durable LEO‑to‑lunar infrastructure.