WASHINGTON (TNND) — The concept of space becoming the next battlefield used to sound abstract, more like science fiction than strategy. But that line has now been crossed. Space warfare isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s already shaping real-world military outcomes.
What is space warfare?
In simple terms, space warfare is about controlling, or disrupting, the satellites and space systems modern militaries rely on every day. That includes communications, GPS navigation, intelligence collection, missile warning systems, and precision targeting. According to the U.S. Space Force’s planning framework, if an adversary can blind or disable those systems, they can gain a decisive advantage on the ground, at sea, or in the air, without ever firing a shot in space itself.
That shift is already visible in how the U.S. military operates. Reporting by Axios revealed that during Operation Absolute Resolve, U.S. Space Command played a direct role in enabling ground forces during the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro. Officials said space-based capabilities were used to overcome communications and visibility challenges in a blacked-out Caracas, allowing U.S. forces to maneuver effectively in a denied environment. Kari Bingen of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told Axios that the operation reflects what modern, integrated U.S. warfare now looks like, with space as a core component, not a support afterthought.
Space warfare race between adversaries
While the United States is adapting to this new domain, it’s not operating alone or uncontested.
According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s 2025 Annual Report, Beijing now explicitly views space as a warfighting domain. China’s goal is not prestige or exploration, but space superiority, a condition it sees as essential to achieving information dominance, which Chinese military planners view as a prerequisite for winning future conflicts.
In practice, that strategy has translated into rapid expansion. Over the past decade, China has launched more than 1,000 satellites, dramatically increasing its ability to conduct persistent surveillance, maintain resilient communications networks, and enable precision targeting — particularly across the Indo-Pacific. The Commission warns these capabilities are designed to monitor, target, and challenge U.S. and allied forces, while supporting long-range strike systems that could be decisive in a regional conflict.
What’s at stake if the U.S. loses its edge in space goes far beyond symbolism. The Commission cautions that falling behind would pose escalating threats to U.S. national security, weaken deterrence, and undermine the competitiveness of American commercial space firms. It would also intensify U.S.–China competition for international partnerships — and potentially allow Beijing to shape the rules, standards, and norms governing space operations for decades to come.
In the Commission’s words, relinquishing leadership in space would mean giving up the strategic advantage first secured during the original Space Race — this time with consequences that would be felt not just above the atmosphere, but across every modern battlefield on Earth.