Space Force Weighs Five Cislunar Satellites
The Pentagon is considering launching reconnaissance vehicles around the Moon's far side by 2029 as China plans its own lunar landing.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Space
Live Poll
Should the U.S. spend more on its military, including in space?
US Space Force is weighing launching five satellites to cislunar space by 2029. The Pentagon has sent a bulletin to aerospace manufacturers expressing interest in reconnaissance vehicles around the far side of the Moon.
Why it matters
Space Force Major General Stephen Purdy said China is planning sustained activity in cislunar space, which is driving the Pentagon's interest. China plans to land on the Moon by 2030.
The Space Force issued a notice to industry seeking a rapid, low-risk solution for a far-side reconnaissance trip, with the program targeting five satellites by 2029. Details on cost, contractors, and final mission design have not been disclosed.
The players
US Space Force
The newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, established in 2019, responsible for military space operations and now weighing cislunar reconnaissance missions.
Stephen Purdy
A Space Force Major General who has publicly framed cislunar space as a warfighting domain and warned of sustained Chinese activity there.
The details
The Pentagon's bulletin states the vehicles may serve as seed vehicles for a potential future proliferated cislunar constellation. Purdy said the Space Force is focused on getting capability out soon rather than pursuing a multi-year science project, and described cislunar space as a warfighting domain.
Timeline
Late October 2026: Purdy describes China's sustained lunar activity.
2029: Target year for launching five cislunar military satellites.
2030: China's planned Moon landing.
Deeper Dive
The proposal responds to China's stated goal of landing on the Moon by 2030, marking a shift in US military planning toward the Earth-Moon region. It reflects a broader race to establish a presence in cislunar space.
If the program advances, five military satellites could begin operating around the Moon by 2029, a capability that would reshape how the US tracks activity in cislunar space. The timeline also means US defense planning will increasingly account for lunar operations within the next few years.
The takeaway
The Space Force's plans show that the competition for Moon-region capability is moving from scientific exploration toward defense planning. Readers should watch whether the 2029 target holds as China advances its 2030 landing goal.
Further reading
Explore more on Space to see how military and civilian activity beyond Earth orbit is developing.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Skeptic Society Magazine.
Live Poll
Should the U.S. spend more on its military, including in space?
