Kathleen Curlee and Andrew Hanna shared their expert analysis in an op-ed published by TIME. In their piece, they analyze the growing national security risks posed by Russia and China’s advancements in space weaponry—particularly anti-satellite (ASAT) systems that could disrupt GPS, weather forecasting, and global communications. They highlight Russia’s deployment of Cosmos 2553—a satellite suspected of carrying a nuclear payload, and China’s expansive investment in counter-space technologies as signals of a shifting, more dangerous space domain.

In response, the authors call for the creation of a U.S.-led military coalition—an Artemis Alliance—to defend the peaceful use of space. They argue that space is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Their proposed Artemis Alliance is the logical next step in securing an open, free, and safe space environment. Modeled after existing defense partnerships, this alliance would complement, not replace, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty by adding enforcement power to its principles.

They argue that space is no longer a domain of pure exploration but one of strategic necessity, noting, “The U.S. and its allies need more than words at this stage. They need the ability to move up the escalation ladder to take defensive military actions on Earth before adversaries take devastating military actions in space.”

To read the full article, visit TIME.