Space Between Earth and Moon Could Become New Strait of Hormuz

The notion that the space between Earth and the Moon could become a new Strait of Hormuz is a stark warning that resonates deeply with our understanding of strategic chokepoints. As reported by Ansa, citing the Center for the Study of Space Crime, Piracy & Governance, the potential for controlling lunar transit routes presents a significant geopolitical challenge.

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So like the Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway, so too in cis-lunar space, although it seems vast, there are in fact a few unique and exclusive transit points through which all traffic to the Moon must pass.

This isn't just theoretical; the establishment of a dedicated office within the U.S. Space Force to evaluate the military and national security implications of cis-lunar space underscores the growing recognition of this frontier's importance. The analogy to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy markets, highlights the vulnerability inherent in essential transit zones. If these lunar pathways fall into the wrong hands, the ambitious multi-trillion-dollar space economy envisioned by entities like NASA and Elon Musk could be jeopardized.

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If these points were to fall into the wrong hands, all of NASA's and Elon Musk's lunar initiatives, the first steps toward a multi-trillion-dollar space economy, might have to be abandoned.

While the recent excitement surrounding NASA's Artemis 2 mission and plans for lunar habitation is palpable, the parallel drawn to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz serves as a potent reminder of our susceptibility to geographical vulnerabilities. As Marc Feldman of the Center for the Study of Space Crime, Piracy & Governance aptly puts it, "Sometimes events contain a warning if we know how to recognize it." The question looms: are we witnessing the dawn of a similar 'strait' in space, where access to the Moon, its resources, or the very paths leading to it could be threatened?

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In parallel, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, causing a jump in global energy markets and once again reminding us how vulnerable we are due to geographical realities.