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OPINION — Space has gone from frontier to front line. But despite this increased urgency and promises to remain first in flight, the Trump administration recently cut the Office of Space Commerce’s budget. Additionally, NASA remains without a permanent leader and is struggling to select a new lunar lander for its Artemis missions.
It’s a dangerous place to be as America’s adversaries are investing heavily in everything from spy satellites to landing on the Moon. Now is the time for the United States to prioritize investment in innovation and security.
Space systems form a comprehensive network of terrestrial and extra-terrestrial assets that drive economic growth. America’s space economy provided nearly $241 billion in direct gross economic output in 2023 while undergirding communications, energy, and financial services infrastructure. Space also remains at the frontier of the American way of war, underpinning much of the country’s precision-strike capabilities, and remains a key element of the Trump administration’s plans to invest in the “Golden Dome” missile-defense system.
In space, China is seeking to dominate the commercial market, develop dual-use platforms to execute military objectives, and undermine American infrastructure. Having spent billions to develop its space launch sector, China may use its statist model to strategically hollow out the American private satellite launch market, forcing firms to rely on Chinese infrastructure vulnerable to espionage. Beijing also remains committed to militarizing space, both to launch “blinding” attacks against U.S. space-based assets and as a means to achieve new precision-strike capabilities. Some of these capabilities have already been delivered to Russia and Iran, allowing them to strike American interests and, in the case of the Iranian-backed Houthis allegedly using Chinese-provided targeting data, assets.
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Chinese efforts call for immediate action from Washington to secure U.S. space systems, though the need to act quickly and with innovation needs to be balanced with the imperative to secure critical infrastructure.
First, the Trump administration should designate space systems as critical infrastructure under National Security Memorandum 22, while designating NASA as the federal partner responsible for helping private industry identify and mitigate risk. This designation, which will place space systems on the same footing as the terrestrial defense industrial base and the healthcare and public health sector, will ensure that the White House prioritizes space security concerns and provides more comprehensive protection for space systems.
Second, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should continue its work to streamline licensing processes. This can be done by adopting the proposed “licensing assembly line” that clarifies standards and accelerates innovation paired with a “building block” approach to encourage evolving technologies. The FCC should also adopt the new licensing category of “Variable Trajectory Spacecraft Systems” to allow novel orbiting technologies, such as landers, orbital transfer vehicles, or in-space assembly, to flourish within a predictable and expedited regulatory environment. Establishing this category will help the United States to diversify its space assets, offer redundancy, and enhance its competitive capacity.
Third, the government should prioritize the physical and cyber security of space systems, keeping in mind the rapidly changing technology landscape. Lowering the threshold for requiring American firms to report foreign ownership to five percent will better capture the ownership structures used by foreign adversaries. Requiring space station operators to improve data sharing practices to account for different levels of data sensitivity and the need to preserve data security can enable safer operations and prevent adversaries from accessing sensitive data. Mandating stronger cybersecurity standards that account for the unique vulnerabilities of space infrastructure is critical for maintaining space operations. Future-proofing cybersecurity standards by prioritizing encryption adaptability will help address weaknesses related to the long-term nature of many space-based assets.
Finally, the administration should ensure that the centers tasked with maintaining security of space infrastructure are adequately resourced. These elements include not only those dealing with commerce, but with science and innovation as well, particularly NASA. Without an effective Office of Space Commerce, satellites are at risk of collision; without a well-funded NASA, the government loses significant procurement clout and cedes its innovative edge. And without space, America forgets its past in the process of losing its future.
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