BLUF: Holding the High Ground

It’s not 1957, but another ‘Sputnik moment’ may be upon us. After years of development, China is preparing to test reusable rockets nearly a decade after SpaceX first proved the concept.

Reusable launch systems have transformed space flight from a prohibitively expensive endeavor into a more cost-effective, resilient platform for deploying satellites essential to everyday life and maintaining a nation’s security. 

Since the first successful landing in 2015, SpaceX and other U.S. companies have dominated the field, with SpaceX this week showcasing the successful landing of its most powerful rocket yet—Starship. Despite European and Chinese attempts, America remains the only nation flying operational, high-cadence reusable rockets at unmatched cost and reliability. This has given the U.S. a strategic advantage in both the technology behind these systems and unrivaled market dominance.

But, as we noted in last week’s BLUF, technological superiority is rarely permanent. China’s rapid gains across other advanced technology sectors offer a clear warning that space dominance will be contested, and the consequences will be economic as well as strategic. Even regional powers like Turkey recognize that access to low-cost launch is a matter of security. 

Maintaining America’s advantage in reusable rocketry is more than just an economic imperative – it is integral to continuing to stay ahead of our adversaries in space and maintaining U.S. dominance on the global stage. We should see Chinese momentum as a rallying call to not rest on our laurels.

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