# Spacepower Ascendant ![rw-book-cover](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61vAHmuL+2L._SY160.jpg) ## Metadata - Author: Joshua Carlson - Full Title: Spacepower Ascendant - Category: #america-commercializing-space-expansion #america-moon-landing #america-space-supremacy ## Extracts ### Chapter 1: America's Silent Adversary | Note | Page | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | | Their (Chinese Space Power) behavior on Earth will be reflected in their behavior in space.  Only America and its allies stand in its way. | 6 | | While China's generals parade Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapons in Tiananmen Square, Chinese and Russian diplomats at the United Nations parade a document titled the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space Treaty.  Their charade of good will is nothing more than a brazen act of law-fare; an attempt to trick the West into agreeing to forego defending our space systems upon which our militaries, economic centers, and information driven societies depend.  Acceding to such a treaty would open the West up to rapid defeat at the hands of a cheater.  As already shown, China is a cheater. | 6 | | Keeping a myopic focus on supporting terrestrial warfighters allows the Chinese the opportunity to seize the strategic points in space as well as the real estate with the highest commercial value.  America must not let this happen. | 8 | | China has envisioned space as the future lynchpin of their global empire and is taking steps to make that vision reality. Space has resources, energy, and area for massive industrial undertakings, if there is a vision to see it. China has that vision, and they are driving hard for it. | 10 | ### Chapter 2: Introduction to the Phases of Space Development | Note | Page | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | | Domain development progresses through the steps of exploration, expansion, and exploitation, with occasionally required exclusion to prevent hostile encroachment. | 19 | | Space Development Theory (SDT) attempts to systematize these places, things, and purposes into a structure that categorizes past, present, and future actions. SDT breaks development of space into four phases: exploration, expansion, exploitation, and exclusion. Exploration is going to a new domain and seeking information about it that could be strategically important, such as key locations or resource nodes. Expansion is extending national architecture to control key locations and resources, providing a permanent presence. Exploitation is when the nation experiences a net benefit from the new domain and resources, growing national power. Finally, exploitation is national ownership and protection of an area from hostile attempts at exploration, expansion, or exploitation. | 19 | | A mission to the Moon for expansion is not equivalent to a mission to Mars for exploration. | 19 | | The first step in SDT is conducting exploration to understand the new domain and specific operating areas. Exploration includes identifying resources and key military terrain, understanding the domain elements that make it unique, and recording and systematizing these findings for use by individuals and national organizations. | 21 | | Second, expansion is conducted by the movement of some combination of economic and military forces into the area to establish enduring access to those previously identified key terrain and resource nodes. Focus of expansion is securing access through occupation, and not excluding competitors from the area entirely. | 23 | | exploitation moves the focus from holding an area and enforcing ownership to bolstering the economic power of a nation. The exploitation phase begins when the area becomes economically net positive to the country in question. | 23 | | If one nation dominates the production and shipping of valuable resources, and that nation then focuses on becoming the lender to the world, it will likely become a hegemon.[36] This strategy can be seen as perfect indirect warfare, becoming the leader without needing to fight for it. War is still possible, and conflict likely, as no nation will willingly surrender hegemony. However, the country seeking hegemonic status does not necessarily need a war to accomplish it. | 23 | | As the region becomes more central to a country’s plans and strategic outlook, the nation will naturally seek to exclude other powers from being able to interfere in it. | 23 | | Passive exclusion, like the threat weaponized islands in the SCS present to the US Navy, is more effective than direct conflict because a rational actor sees the cost of interference as too high and will not attempt it. | 23 | | The US must seek to expand and exploit space with all speed because domains do not remain unclaimed for long. Humanity will develop space, and if the US has not engaged in the required expansion and exploitation, then the US’ proud history in space will be just that. History, confined to books. | 25 | ### Chapter 3: Introduction to Astronautics and Spacepower | Note | Page | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---- | | Spacepower is defined as military force that can exert influence in and from the domain and create effects in other domains for strategic benefit. Astronautics is defined as those elements that are primarily commercial and industrial; it includes all aspects that allow for projection into, production, sustainment, training, profit, and expansion in the domain for the purpose of strategic benefit. | 28 | | Astronautics covers technology, industry, personnel, commerce, and basing. | 30 | | Both militaries and commerce benefit significantly from superior technology. | 30 | | Current problems that need to be solved are in-space construction using in situ resources, servicing satellites in orbit, and eventually space settlement construction - amongst others. | 32 | | Industrial capacity for space has traditionally grown slowly and cautiously. This is partially because of the relatively small customer base and high cost of building and launching from Earth. | 32 | | Personnel is a part of all aspects of astronautics, and, if and until AI can fully take over for humans in producing and operating space equipment, they will remain central. | 32 | | Competitive astronautics requires a large and diverse group that can problem-solve collaboratively with different perspectives. | 32 | | He3, when acquired in sufficient quantity, will revolutionize both terrestrial energy production and spaceflight due to the incredible energy it releases during nuclear fusion. Today, oil in Saudi Arabia is not scarce, and so it is shipped to other places to make profit; likewise, He3 is plentiful on Uranus but incredibly rare, and therefore valuable, on Earth and the Moon. | 34 | | The problem up to this point has been that, despite the desire to expand beyond Earth’s orbit, it has not been economically viable. Instead, nations continue to compete inside Earth’s gravity well. This appears to be changing, and space expansion is on the horizon. With the drive to expand humanity beyond Earth and the significant benefit of a rocket launch infrastructure on the Moon, Lunar and other settlements will serve as enabling bases to spread the reach of Astronautics. | 34 | | Technology must solve the issues that arise from space situations and, if competing, it must be superior to that possessed by hostile powers. | 36 | | Terrestrially, new critical points are largely natural, but some are man-made, with the Suez and Panama Canals serving as two specific examples. These massive construction projects served to significantly increase the power of nations that controlled them through both military and commercial applications. | 36 | | Gravity wells, solar winds, and orbits all create some areas more efficient to move than others. | 36 | | Lagrange points are areas of stable gravity, and solar winds drive particles throughout the solar system. Orbits of planets provide potential kinetic energy to speed ships on their way. | 36 | | Ports are where other domains convert resources into power that can then be projected into space – for example, land-produced satellites are sent into space. | 36 | | Spacepower operating in this context is held at risk from ASATs launched from below, co-orbital threats from other satellites and possible defensive measures from extra-orbital objects. | 39 | | This is the reason that modern spacepower’s fixation on survivability and resilience in the littoral is ultimately Sisyphean.[45] Make large systems more survivable, the enemy makes its systems more lethal. Multiply systems for resilient capabilities and the enemy matches your numbers. The problem is that holding the littoral indefinitely is virtually impossible due to the predictability of your own systems, the number of vectors that the threat can approach from, the speed they can do it, and the cost of hardening systems to completely prevent it. | 39 | | A similar situation presented to an adversary, the destruction of their satellite fleets and subsequent strategic defeat, will likely have the same effect of deterrence at significantly less cost than exquisitely engineering all satellites to meet all possible scenarios. | 39 | | Once it projects out of orbit into the silent sea, spacepower operates more like traditional seapower, serving to connect planets and bases. | 39 | | It also greatly minimizes the previous weaknesses identified – satellites in orbit are of little threat to a vessel orbiting the moon, and ASATs from Earth would need to be massive to have any hope of successfully targeting it. | 39 | | Once away from the cluttered and congested planetary littorals, spacepower unfurls its sails as the master of the silent domain. | 39 | ### Chapter 4 “Chinese spacepower theory can be boiled down into three words: Geography, Legitimacy, and Economy.” (“Chapter 4: Chinese Space Power Theory”, 2020, p. 1) “First, and the grounding principle, is the view of space as geography, an area that can be owned and controlled. Second, legitimacy refers to the view of space as a forum for leadership and international affirmation of the regime. Third, and most recent to develop, is the economic aspects of space and the ability for that to bolster their domestic economy” (“Chapter 4: Chinese Space Power Theory”, 2020, p. 1) “Simply put, power grows through the acquisitions of territory and resources for the state, and states compete with each other in an anarchical system.” (“Chapter 4: Chinese Space Power Theory”, 2020, p. 1) “If ‘ownership is 9/10 of the law,’ and property follows a progression of exploration and exploitation, then the concept follows that the Chinese will try to progress as far down that path as possible. The consequence of this first principle is that the Chinese believe that ownership is at stake and that they must encourage the growth of Chinese holdings while reducing those not aligned with Chinese interests.” (“Chapter 4: Chinese Space Power Theory”, 2020, p. 2) “Because power distribution in the system is vital, China is weakening the US monopoly on astronautics and spacepower even as they use other nations business to build their own. In China’s perspective, the current world order is not democratic but hegemonic, with the US at the helm.” (“Chapter 4: Chinese Space Power Theory”, 2020, p. 3) “Legitimacy flows from both the Chinese Government’s ability to declare intentions and execute them, as well as having authenticity that comes from space ownership. Kings without kingdoms, or land, are generally not kings long.” (“Chapter 4: Chinese Space Power Theory”, 2020, p. 4) ### Chapter 5 The current problem with Space Power Theory in the military view it as a war fighting domain to support troops on the ground. -Page 54 ^e2c24a The dominant Space Power Military Theorists are: * Everett C. Dolman - takes a very aggressive approach and follows the Realpolitik/Geopolitics school of thought. * Brent Ziarnick - follows the Mahanian/Clausewitz school of thought of Grammar and Logic and delineates between Astronautics and Space Power * Bradly Townsend - takes an Earth bound approach -Page 57 Science for curiosity's sake doesn't benefit national power and wastes resources. There needs to be a vision. - Page 59 Space will be a combat domain, just like every other environment on Earth. - Page 61 ^b4e95d ### Chapter 6 With 6 years of full production of Space Based Solar Power (SBSP), China could be energy independent. - Page 70 In 1525 the Ming dynasty burnt all of their treasure ships and the Chinese strategists believe that this is the reason for Japanese and European domination during the 19th and 20th century that still hasn't healed. - Page 72 China engages in Indirect Approach warfare in which the use Expansion instead of proxy or direct warfare. This is how they engage in Space Power through economic expansion while the US just uses military and scientific means. China has invested in: ^a6cc0f * Space Based Solar Power * AI * 3D Printing * Quantum Computing -Page 73 China uses Lawfare to achieve its goals, which is using legal institutions to achieve strategic ends. - Page 79 ^823a25 The Antartica Treaty prevents militarization of the continent, but the Chinese have put 4 bases there with no ramifications, if they are doing this on Earth where they can be stopped, they certainly won't follow the OST in space. - Page 80 ^c3a111 ### Chapter 7 The USSF needs to move from the industrial age mindset to a space based one by doing the following: - A New Mindset - Taking more Risk - New Organizations -Page 85 America will be able to keep up with China technologically, but not strategically, which will mean that America will lose in the long run. ^38fb0c ### Chapter 8 Asteroid Mining will be worth trillions of dollars in Iron, Nickel, Cobalt, and Gold. - Page 101 ### Chapter 9 Astronautics decisive effects are through economic power. - Page 134 USSF needs to be more than a War Fighting Domain, it needs to support national power through commerce protection. - Page 135 ## Highlights - Their behavior on Earth will be reflected in their behavior in space.  Only America and its allies stand in its way. ([Location 46](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=46)) - While China's generals parade anti-satellite weapons in Tiananmen Square, Chinese and Russian diplomats at the United Nations parade a document titled the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space Treaty.  Their charade of good will is nothing more than a brazen act of law-fare; an attempt to trick the West into agreeing to forego defending our space systems upon which our militaries, economic centers, and information driven societies depend.  Acceding to such a treaty would open the West up to rapid defeat at the hands of a cheater.  As already shown, China is a cheater. ([Location 47](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=47)) - Keeping a myopic focus on supporting terrestrial warfighters allows the Chinese the opportunity to seize the strategic points in space as well as the real estate with the highest commercial value.  America must not let this happen. ([Location 65](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=65)) - China has envisioned space as the future lynchpin of their global empire and is taking steps to make that vision reality. Space has resources, energy, and area for massive industrial undertakings, if there is a vision to see it. China has that vision, and they are driving hard for it. ([Location 84](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=84)) - China is the US’ silent adversary and has been so for decades, even though it is only recently that they have felt able to directly challenge the US. China has taken the lessons from the US’ rise in the late 19th century through maritime and seapower expansion. China envisions space in the same way. ([Location 110](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=110)) - In 2007, in what was considered by many a shot across the US space bow, China tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile on one of its satellites, generating a debris cloud that still exists in orbit.[4] ([Location 122](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=122)) - “China’s goal…[is] to establish a leading position in the economic and military use of outer space… China views space as critical to its future security and economic interests…not merely to explore space, but to industrially dominate [it].”[6] ([Location 131](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=131)) - China has proclaimed that it will use space for only peaceful purposes.[7] It also proclaimed that it would use the islands it constructed in the South China Sea (SCS) for peaceful purposes before it chose to build military airbases and emplace electronic jamming equipment, anti-air and anti-ship missiles.[8] China has already proved its bad faith in dealing with the international community, and should not be trusted to suddenly become reliable in space. ([Location 133](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=133)) - First, he is stating that these two heavenly bodies are like islands that can be claimed and owned – and others excluded. This statement would be the same as the head of NASA proclaiming, “The moon is Hawaii and Mars is Guam.” ([Location 167](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=167)) - If space is viewed by China the same way that it sees those islands, then cooperation cannot occur since the Chinese government cannot be trusted to act in good faith. ([Location 174](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=174)) - Competition is the only way forward, preserving superiority in the space domain to maintain economic dominance and national power. ([Location 175](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=175)) - As the USSF separates, it must strengthen its theoretical grasp on the domain and develop a mission of protection and furtherance of US industrial and commercial interests in space. ([Location 186](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=186)) - It is short sighted to describe space as “high ground,” just like it would be odd to refer to the ocean as “high ground.” It focuses too much on Earth and ignores the strategic terrain of space. ([Location 192](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=192)) - To set the proper tone for the new USSF, and to break its mindset away from the tyranny of this terrestrial perspective, a better moniker for space would be “The Silent Sea.” ([Location 194](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=194)) - Domain development progresses through the steps of exploration, expansion, and exploitation, with occasionally required exclusion to prevent hostile encroachment. ([Location 212](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=212)) - Space Development Theory (SDT) attempts to systematize these places, things, and purposes into a structure that categorizes past, present, and future actions. SDT breaks development of space into four phases: exploration, expansion, exploitation, and exclusion. Exploration is going to a new domain and seeking information about it that could be strategically important, such as key locations or resource nodes. Expansion is extending national architecture to control key locations and resources, providing a permanent presence. Exploitation is when the nation experiences a net benefit from the new domain and resources, growing national power. Finally, exploitation is national ownership and protection of an area from hostile attempts at exploration, expansion, or exploitation. ([Location 216](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=216)) - A mission to the Moon for expansion is not equivalent to a mission to Mars for exploration. ([Location 234](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=234)) - The first step in SDT is conducting exploration to understand the new domain and specific operating areas. Exploration includes identifying resources and key military terrain, understanding the domain elements that make it unique, and recording and systematizing these findings for use by individuals and national organizations. ([Location 260](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=260)) - Second, expansion is conducted by the movement of some combination of economic and military forces into the area to establish enduring access to those previously identified key terrain and resource nodes. Focus of expansion is securing access through occupation, and not excluding competitors from the area entirely. ([Location 271](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=271)) - exploitation moves the focus from holding an area and enforcing ownership to bolstering the economic power of a nation. The exploitation phase begins when the area becomes economically net positive to the country in question. ([Location 285](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=285)) - If one nation dominates the production and shipping of valuable resources, and that nation then focuses on becoming the lender to the world, it will likely become a hegemon.[36] This strategy can be seen as perfect indirect warfare, becoming the leader without needing to fight for it. War is still possible, and conflict likely, as no nation will willingly surrender hegemony. However, the country seeking hegemonic status does not necessarily need a war to accomplish it. ([Location 300](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=300)) - As the region becomes more central to a country’s plans and strategic outlook, the nation will naturally seek to exclude other powers from being able to interfere in it. ([Location 306](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=306)) - Passive exclusion, like the threat weaponized islands in the SCS present to the US Navy, is more effective than direct conflict because a rational actor sees the cost of interference as too high and will not attempt it. ([Location 313](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=313)) - The US must seek to expand and exploit space with all speed because domains do not remain unclaimed for long. Humanity will develop space, and if the US has not engaged in the required expansion and exploitation, then the US’ proud history in space will be just that. History, confined to books. ([Location 373](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=373)) - Spacepower is defined as military force that can exert influence in and from the domain and create effects in other domains for strategic benefit. Astronautics is defined as those elements that are primarily commercial and industrial; it includes all aspects that allow for projection into, production, sustainment, training, profit, and expansion in the domain for the purpose of strategic benefit. ([Location 394](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=394)) - Astronautics covers technology, industry, personnel, commerce, and basing. ([Location 413](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=413)) - Both militaries and commerce benefit significantly from superior technology. ([Location 427](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=427)) - Current problems that need to be solved are in-space construction using in situ resources, servicing satellites in orbit, and eventually space settlement construction - amongst others. ([Location 439](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=439)) - Industrial capacity for space has traditionally grown slowly and cautiously. This is partially because of the relatively small customer base and high cost of building and launching from Earth. ([Location 452](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=452)) - Personnel is a part of all aspects of astronautics, and, if and until AI can fully take over for humans in producing and operating space equipment, they will remain central. ([Location 460](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=460)) - Competitive astronautics requires a large and diverse group that can problem-solve collaboratively with different perspectives. ([Location 465](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=465)) - He3, when acquired in sufficient quantity, will revolutionize both terrestrial energy production and spaceflight due to the incredible energy it releases during nuclear fusion. Today, oil in Saudi Arabia is not scarce, and so it is shipped to other places to make profit; likewise, He3 is plentiful on Uranus but incredibly rare, and therefore valuable, on Earth and the Moon. ([Location 471](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=471)) - The problem up to this point has been that, despite the desire to expand beyond Earth’s orbit, it has not been economically viable. Instead, nations continue to compete inside Earth’s gravity well. This appears to be changing, and space expansion is on the horizon. With the drive to expand humanity beyond Earth and the significant benefit of a rocket launch infrastructure on the Moon, Lunar and other settlements will serve as enabling bases to spread the reach of Astronautics. ([Location 497](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=497)) - Technology must solve the issues that arise from space situations and, if competing, it must be superior to that possessed by hostile powers. ([Location 509](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=509)) - Terrestrially, new critical points are largely natural, but some are man-made, with the Suez and Panama Canals serving as two specific examples. These massive construction projects served to significantly increase the power of nations that controlled them through both military and commercial applications. ([Location 525](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=525)) - Gravity wells, solar winds, and orbits all create some areas more efficient to move than others. ([Location 527](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=527)) - Lagrange points are areas of stable gravity, and solar winds drive particles throughout the solar system. Orbits of planets provide potential kinetic energy to speed ships on their way. ([Location 528](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=528)) - Ports are where other domains convert resources into power that can then be projected into space – for example, land-produced satellites are sent into space. ([Location 531](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=531)) - Spacepower operating in this context is held at risk from ASATs launched from below, co-orbital threats from other satellites and possible defensive measures from extra-orbital objects. ([Location 545](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=545)) - This is the reason that modern spacepower’s fixation on survivability and resilience in the littoral is ultimately Sisyphean.[45] Make large systems more survivable, the enemy makes its systems more lethal. Multiply systems for resilient capabilities and the enemy matches your numbers. The problem is that holding the littoral indefinitely is virtually impossible due to the predictability of your own systems, the number of vectors that the threat can approach from, the speed they can do it, and the cost of hardening systems to completely prevent it. ([Location 549](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=549)) - A similar situation presented to an adversary, the destruction of their satellite fleets and subsequent strategic defeat, will likely have the same effect of deterrence at significantly less cost than exquisitely engineering all satellites to meet all possible scenarios. ([Location 556](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=556)) - Once it projects out of orbit into the silent sea, spacepower operates more like traditional seapower, serving to connect planets and bases. ([Location 563](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=563)) - It also greatly minimizes the previous weaknesses identified – satellites in orbit are of little threat to a vessel orbiting the moon, and ASATs from Earth would need to be massive to have any hope of successfully targeting it. ([Location 564](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=564)) - Once away from the cluttered and congested planetary littorals, spacepower unfurls its sails as the master of the silent domain. ([Location 565](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=565)) - For China, space is the key to achieve their long-term ambition of becoming a primary power in the international system...China’s space-power theory is undergirded by its expansionist view of space as a geography, and a means to achieve global legitimate leadership through the economic exploitation of the inner solar system. --Dr. Namrata Goswami ([Location 573](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=573)) - Discusses Chinese theory on space and some of its strategic underpinnings. China plays ‘Go,’ not Chess – a game of maneuver, terrain occupation, and influence rather than direct conflict. China’s theory does not foresee an interstellar war to secure dominance, but rather securing the superior position in space so they never have to. ([Location 577](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=577)) - Chinese spacepower theory can be boiled down into three words: Geography, Legitimacy, and Economy.[46] ([Location 580](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=580)) - First, and the grounding principle, is the view of space as geography, an area that can be owned and controlled. ([Location 581](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=581)) - Second, legitimacy refers to the view of space as a forum for leadership and international affirmation of the regime. ([Location 582](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=582)) - Third, and most recent to develop, is the economic aspects of space and the ability for that to bolster their domestic economy. ([Location 583](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=583)) - power grows through the acquisitions of territory and resources for the state, and states compete with each other in an anarchical system. Therefore, states must continuously attempt to expand their power to retain maximal relative advantage compared to other countries in the system; defeat for one usually equates to victory for another.[48] ([Location 587](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=587)) - In China’s perspective, the current world order is not democratic but hegemonic, with the US at the helm. ([Location 620](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=620)) - China’s answer is to eventually use space leadership through Moon settlements, space-based solar power, and asteroid mining, to set up a new system that reduces the position of the US and, in providing benefit for the rest of the world, gain legitimacy as the new ascendant hegemon.[55] ([Location 621](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=621)) - He3 is the resource of the future, with the potential to power very clean-burning nuclear fusion reactors that could revolutionize both the earth's electrical power and space flight. ([Location 633](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=633)) - Chinese space theory is comprised of three concepts – geography, legitimacy, and economy. ([Location 646](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B08BY52LFN&location=646))