Air Force Secretary Troy Meink warned Monday that adversaries including China and Russia are actively seeking to dismantle U.S. space capabilities, prompting a critical reassessment of American dominance in orbit.
Speaking at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Meink emphasized the United States has “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.” He stated these systems are being employed for both offensive and defensive purposes under combatant commands.
“The U.S. has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007,” Meink added. “Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain.”
Meink also revealed adversaries are attempting to knock U.S. space assets out of orbit: “There have been many who are developing capabilities to take those away from us, to threaten those things.” He stressed the importance of maintaining dominance in space: “It is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space.”
Meanwhile, China continues its lunar ambitions with Chang’e-7, delayed until at least 2027, aiming for more robotic explorers on the moon and plans for human presence by 2030. The Chang’e-8 mission is scheduled for 2029.
Clive Neil, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Notre Dame, cautioned against competitive space races: “History shows us that international competition in human space exploration does not produce an enduring human space program.” He referenced the cancellation of NASA’s Apollo program less than four years after Apollo 11, noting the International Space Station has sustained continuous human presence in low Earth orbit for over two decades through cooperation.
