We’re on the Brink of Losing Space Leadership—Here’s How We Can Reclaim It

After more than 50 years in the space industry, I’ve learned this: America’s leadership in space doesn’t come guaranteed—it’s earned. Today, that leadership is at risk. When I was young, I witnessed America’s greatest accomplishment in space, the Apollo Moon landing. Then, as an adult, I participated in the continuation of U.S. dominance of the high frontier with the International Space Station (ISS). Never in my lifetime did I consider that we, as a nation, would cede our preeminence in space to a foreign adversary. Yet today, I feel that is a very real possibility.

Since the start of this fiscal year, I’ve grown increasingly uneasy about our position as the world’s leader in the peaceful exploration of space. As someone who grew up watching our nation’s most celebrated space achievements, I’ve always believed our dominance in space is essential to our national security, both economic and physical. But now, I fear we’re on the verge of surrendering that dominance.

A significant threat looms: retiring the ISS in 2030 without an agreed-upon replacement. NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration has spent years planning for one or more commercial successors, but a change in administration and its proposed deep budget cuts for NASA have stalled progress. This threatens not only our microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. research capabilities but also our 25 years of continuous human presence in space, just as we begin to unlock the economic potential of space-based R&D.

Over the past 12 years, the ISS National Lab has laid the foundation for a strong economy in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. (LEO). Much like the telecommunications boom sparked by Telstar 1 in the 1960s, the LEO economy could become the next trillion-dollar industry within a decade. We’re already seeing breakthroughs in materials science, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology—advances that could transform life on Earth. But all of this is now at risk.

Many Americans may not fully grasp the stakes. In the 1950s, the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik shocked the U.S. into action. That wake-up call led to the Moon landing and decades of innovation. Since then, we’ve led a coalition of nations in peaceful space exploration, reaping benefits like global satellite telecommunications and valuable scientific breakthroughs. But while we now partner with Russia on the ISS, China is emerging as the more significant strategic competitor in space.

Some may not realize the scale and ambition of China’s space program. Their goals mirror the bold vision the U.S. had in the 1960s: to dominate LEO, establish a permanent presence on the Moon, and eventually explore and settle Mars. China’s efforts are strategic, coordinated, and multifaceted, and we cannot assume their intentions align with ours.

In just over four years, China has completed the core of its space station, crewed by three astronauts who are also officers in the People’s Liberation Army. Expansion plans are already underway. China is also aggressively pursuing a human mission to the Moon, and by some estimates, they may be ahead of the U.S. in this effort. A sustained lunar presence is the stepping stone to Mars. And while China may not have surpassed us yet, without deliberate planning and action, we risk falling behind.

We also risk losing our country’s leadership and security that has taken 250 years to build. The good news? The solution is within our collective power—if we choose to act.

We’ve faced setbacks before. The Challenger disaster in 1986 exposed the risks of relying on a single launch system. We adapted, rebuilt a diversified space shuttle fleet, and helped launch the New Space economy. When the Space Shuttle Program was retired in 2011, we had to rely on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to transport our astronauts to the ISS until SpaceX’s Dragon restored U.S. crew transport in 2020. Now, we must rise to the challenge again.

In the 1960s, the U.S. led the world in R&D investment, spending twice as much as the rest of the world combined. Today, we spend less than half of what our allies invest collectively. The current budget proposal continues that downward trend.

Consider this: NASA receives less than 1 percent of the federal budget. Even when combined with the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the total investment in science and technology is only about 2 percent. Yet these are investments that yield exponential returns.

Yes, the federal deficit is a serious issue. But cutting investment in innovation is not the solution. That approach risks contracting the economy, eliminating jobs, and drastically reducing future economic gains. A more constructive path is to invest in growth. That’s how America has always moved forward, by building, creating, and expanding.

We’ve established a robust LEO economy. We’ve broken ground on a lunar economy. Our robotic missions to Mars position us to lead there as well. But we cannot lead with a short-sighted vision like the one reflected in the 2026 budget proposal.

Restoring NASA’s budget to 2024 levels isn’t just a smart investment—it’s a strategic imperative. The future of American leadership in space depends on it.