OpEd: USA’s Space Offramp: The Great Cosmic Pivot

Apparently, Earth’s faithful companion has been demoted from “giant leap for mankind” to cosmic speed bump. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. The incoming President’s space views align with Musk’s Mars-or-bust mentality, as evidenced by his 2019 social media declaration that NASA should forget the Moon and aim for “bigger things.” Because apparently, a 2,159-mile-diameter celestial body just isn’t impressive enough anymore.

As I predicted in my book “Astropolitics 3.0,” SpaceX is orchestrating a masterful lobby campaign to sunset the Artemis program. Their argument? Why pour billions into what they’re privately calling a “Titanic program doomed to sink.”

The comparison is painfully apt — like its namesake, Artemis is an expensive vessel carrying too many legacy contractors, steaming full speed ahead toward its own iceberg of technical challenges and budget overruns. The old guard at NASA and their traditional contractors are about to learn that in the space game, past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

But here’s where the cosmic irony kicks in: Musk, with his Tesla-forged understanding of Chinese business and governance, knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s aware that China’s space agency plans to plant boots on lunar soil by 2029, a year ahead of their public timeline. Rather than engage in a lunar photo-op showdown, why not execute the ultimate corporate pivot?

The strategy is brilliant in its simplicity: Let China have their Moon moment while America sets course for Mars. It’s not about conceding defeat – it’s about redefining the game entirely.

While others focus on lunar bases, Musk envisions humanity becoming a multi-planetary species, driven by his unwavering belief that Mars colonization is crucial for humanity’s long-term survival. For China, this becomes a diplomatic coup. They get to play the gracious host of lunar exploration, welcoming all nations (except the usual suspects) to their celestial backyard.

Meanwhile, America gets to maintain its technological supremacy narrative by pursuing the more ambitious Martian endeavor. Who will win in this cosmic pivot? Will humanity prefer China’s lunar gateway or America’s bold push to the Red Planet?

As Earth’s population watches these space powers chart their distinct courses, only time will tell which strategy will prove more successful in the long run. One thing’s certain: 2025 is shaping up to be a year when space policy will be less about actual rocket science and more about who can craft the more compelling vision for humanity’s future among the stars.

In this new space race, it seems the real frontier isn’t up there — it’s in the court of public opinion here on Earth.