The United States first needs to control the Earth-moon system to dominate the new high ground of space and maintain access to the moon.
The summary report explains that the U.S. faces major challenges and inflection points in the final frontier. In terms of cislunar (Earth-moon) space and the moon itself, there is a need to control critical "choke points."
"As space activities expand beyond geosynchronous orbit, the first nation to establish transportation infrastructure and logistics capabilities serving GEO [geosynchronous Earth orbit] and cislunar space will have superior ability to exercise control of cislunar space and in particular the Lagrange points and the resources of the moon," the report says. (Lagrange points are gravitationally stable spots in space where probes can "park," remaining in place without expending much fuel.)
Focus on the Earth-moon system is appropriate. Because who knows what China will claim:
And as the high ground of Earth, philosophically I think Space Force should have more of the Air Force model. And terminology. Save a space navy for when America moves beyond the Earth-moon system.
And again, let's work on getting SMOD ground forces in the Earth-moon system theater. That's one area I prefer a Marine pattern in space since boarding actions are likely to be a mission.
Anyway, I'm glad that Space Force is more than just an additional bureaucracy even if it is lean for now. By the time it is bloated we can carve out a Space Navy that will at least start of lean for the rest of the solar system.
