Asia's Space Race

Lecture by James Clay Moltz, Professor, Department of National Security Affairs,
Naval Postgraduate School (NPS)

Free and open to the public. Registration required.

The USF Center for Asia Pacific Studies welcomes Professor James Clay Moltz to discuss the dramatic recent expansion of space activity among Asian countries, which has fundamentally altered the balance of power in orbit. In just two decades, China has demonstrated advanced human spaceflight and military capabilities, while surpassing Russia as the world’s second leading space power. But China’s rise has stimulated a space race in the region as countries like India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia have dramatically boosted their space spending. China’s military programs have also caused these countries to move closer to the United States. In civil space, many Asian countries have joined the U.S.-led Artemis Accords to cooperate in returning to the Moon.  Meanwhile, China plans to work with Russia to develop the International Lunar Research Station. Understanding these dynamics will shed new light on emerging international challenges in space. This presentation will summarize Asia’s recent emergence and compare and contrast the space strategies of key Asian actors, as well as consider what these dynamics mean for the United States. 

James Clay Moltz is a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), where he also holds a joint appointment in the Space Systems Academic Group. His books include: Crowded Orbits: Conflict and Cooperation in Space (Columbia University Press, 2024); The Politics of Space Security (Stanford University Press, 2019); and Asia’s Space Race (Columbia University Press, 2012). He previously served as chair of the Department of National Security Affairs and as dean of the Graduate School of International and Defense Studies at NPS. He completed his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley and his M.A. and B.A. (with Distinction) at Stanford University.

Community Partners: Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of History, BA in International Studies, and MA in International Studies

This image was originally posted to Flickr by Kevin M. Gill at https://flickr.com/photos/53460575@N03/51217408955