--- title: "US Space Force Declares Far Side of the Moon a “Warfighting Domain,” Weighs Launch of Five Military Lunar Satellites" description: "The US military is gearing up for at least five reconnaissance flights around cislunar space to combat the Chinese lunar program." date: "2026-11-03" modified: "2026-11-03" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins.md" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/us-space-force-cislunar-moon-warfighting-domain" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Future Society" - "Military" - "Moon" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" - "Space Force" --- # US Space Force Declares Far Side of the Moon a “Warfighting Domain,” Weighs Launch of Five Military Lunar Satellites ![A render of an Air Force Research Laboratory Oracle spacecraft.]() *ARFI* The far side of the Earth's Moon could become a new theater of war — at least if the Trump administration has anything to say about it. According [to the magazine *Air and Space Forces*](), the US Space Force under Donald Trump is weighing whether to launch five satellites to cislunar space by 2029 — a decision which would see American military craft orbit around the far side of the Moon. That news came [via a bulletin]() to aerospace manufacturers, advising the industry that the Pentagon is now "notionally interested" in launching what would essentially be reconnaissance flights to slingshot around the Moon. As *Air and Space* reported, the notice stated that "these vehicles may serve as seed vehicles that will inform the acquisition strategy for a potential future proliferated cislunar constellation. The government is looking for information on industry's ability to provide a rapid, low-risk solution" for a recon trip to the far side of the Moon. To hear Space Force officials like Major General Stephen Purdy tell it, the Pentagon is [dead serious]() about turning the cislunar region into a "warfighting domain." The impetus behind the military's newfound interest in the space between the Earth and the Moon seems to be China — specifically, the People's Republic's plans to [land on the Moon]() by 2030. "They're not planning for a one-off demo," Purdy said in late October, per *Air and Space*. "They are planning for sustained activity. It's in their strategic documents... and they're building the \[research and development\], and the \[science and technology\], and the operational reps and set to get all those missions done." "This isn't a four- or five-year science project," Purdy asserted. "This is about getting capability out soon." **More on space:** *[Unannounced Test by Controversial "Sunlight-as-a-Service" Space Startup Shocks Astronomers]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [US Military Announces Plans for Satellite Orbiting the Moon]() - [Military Report Says Space Force Must Prepare for Moon Warfare]() - [NASA and the US Space Force Are Officially Teaming Up]() - [US Military Commander Worries China Could Launch Attack From Moon]() - [Space Force Says It’ll Prioritize Buying Lots of Weapons Over Ones That Work Properly]() - [Europe’s Next Space Chief Wants a Moon Colony on the Lunar Far Side]() - [NATO Boss: Space Is Now a Military “Operational Domain”]() - [Russia Warns of Potential Military Strike on SpaceX Satellites]()