US Space Force To Launch Highway Patrol Between Earth & The Moon

In a recent video, the US Air Force Research Laboratory revealed that it is planning to expand its space patrol capabilities beyond geostationary orbit, and might even launch a “highway” closer to the moon.

At the moment, the country’s space mission extends 22,000 miles above the Earth’s surface, but it could soon up that range by 10 times, reaching into cislunar space.

Dubbing it the Cislunar Highway Patrol System (CHPS), the agency says it will issue a “request for prototype proposals” starting March 21, with the winning contract slated to be announced in July, as per Ars Technica. 

The main aim of the highway will be to safeguard the “peaceful development” of space activities, and ensure a “safe and secure” environment for the uptick of exploration and commercial development in orbit. 

“It’s the first step for them to be able to know what’s going on in cislunar space and then identify any potential threats to US activities,” explained Brian Weeden, Director of Program Planning for the Secure World Foundation. 

Moriba Jah, co-founder of space venture Privateer, told The Hill it was an important step for the US Department of Defense to protect commercial interests in space. 

“On the seas you’ve got the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard protects US interests in the seas, even commercial interests, to make sure citizens are safe as they go from one place to the next,” he remarked. 

According to Task & Purpose, this could become more crucial as the space race heats up, allowing the Department of Defense to keep its eye on cislunar space surrounding the moon so no US spacecraft or satellite is sabotaged.

[via Ars Technica and The Hill, cover image via US Air Force Research Laboratory]