U.S. Strategic Interest in the Moon: An Assessment of Economic, National Security, and Geopolitical Drivers

Abstract

Since the 1980s, U.S. leaders have repeatedly directed the United States to return to the Moon, yet in each case, efforts were canceled within a few years of being announced. However, with the Artemis Program, for the first time in 30 years, a plan to return to the Moon has been endorsed by two successive presidential administrations. Today, interest in the Moon extends beyond the traditional scientific and inspirational motivations associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's exploration plans, with military, commercial, and international entities articulating corresponding, and sometimes independent, lunar goals. Some government leaders have argued that the return to the Moon has become a strategic interest for the United States. This paper investigates this claim, examining the economic, national security, and geopolitical drivers underlying U.S. lunar ambitions. We find that while rhetoric on the economic and national security importance of cislunar exploration and development is often overstated, there are some legitimate reasons for interest within these sectors. There are also strong geopolitical drivers for cislunar exploration and development.