The People’s Republic of China will be launching the Chang’e-4 lunar probe on Friday. This will mark the world’s first mission to land on the far side of the moon. (There is no “dark side” of the moon, Pink Floyd notwithstanding.)
In recent years, China has made great strides in its space program. Growing Chinese counterspace capabilities are beginning to threaten U.S. space superiority and therefore the ability of the U.S. to support its friends and allies and to deter aggression. To deal with the challenge, the U.S. should maintain and expand robust space capabilities, develop alternatives to space-based systems to reduce American vulnerability, and increase U.S. knowledge and understanding of Chinese space capabilities.