WASHINGTON — US Space Command approved a list of science and technology priorities for fiscal years 2028 through 2032 earlier this month, with cislunar and extended geosynchronous orbit (xGEO) capabilities ranked third among seven focus areas. The command’s chief scientist and technical advisor, David Denhard, said cislunar space—the region beyond Earth's orbit out to the Moon—is critical for positioning, navigation, timing, and space domain awareness.

"Cislunar and xGEO is important to us. First, from a PNT [positioning, navigation, and timing] perspective, you need timing in that area. You don’t get GPS signals very far out of GEO. We want space domain awareness in that area; so, we want to know what our adversary is doing in GEO and beyond. And then, eventually, we want to exploit that space from an offensive sort of space control perspective," Denhard said.

US doctrinal publications define space control as encompassing both defensive and offensive operations. The Space Force’s April 2025 warfighting framework specifies that space control includes orbital, electronic, and cyber warfare. Both US Space Command and the Space Force have expressed growing interest in operations between Earth’s outer orbit and the Moon, an emphasis that stems from President Donald Trump’s December 2024 executive order on space superiority.

Research aimed at achieving on-orbit mobility ranks as the top priority on the command’s science and technology list. Denhard said the foremost goal is to develop technologies enabling an order-of-magnitude improvement in mobility, including novel propulsion systems. "We want to be able to go to different orbits fast. We want to be able to go quickly to anywhere we need in a point of space," he said.

A US Space Command spokesperson affirmed the command’s responsibility over cislunar space, stating, "Cislunar is part of USSPACECOM’s Area of Responsibility like any other region in the space domain. As such, we will execute all of our UCP responsibilities accordingly to ensure that the U.S., working alongside its allies and partners, has the freedom of action to operate in space and the ability to project power when and where required."

Peter Garretson, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and long-time advocate for military operations in cislunar space, called the shift a major policy evolution. "This year, the remarks on cislunar are committed and all in. It’s a massive policy change," he said.