Dr. Eligar Sadeh, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, #4535
Quick summary
The Space Show featured a discussion with Eligar Sadeh, editor of the Journal of Astropolitics, about the recent Space Symposium in Colorado Springs and cislunar space governance. Sadeh explained how the symposium focused heavily on establishing U.S. dominance in cislunar space, particularly through the Artemis program, with emphasis on being the first mover in establishing governance structures and rules of engagement. The discussion covered concerns about NASA science budget cuts, the sustainability of the Space Launch System, and the role of public-private partnerships in lunar development. Sadeh noted that while the U.S. space community emphasized military and strategic priorities, international scholars, particularly from developing space nations, were increasingly contributing to astropolitical research through his journal. The conversation also touched on challenges with Starlink satellite congestion and the potential for space asset disruption, though Sadeh emphasized the importance of establishing international governance frameworks to prevent harmful interference in space.
Detailed Summary
Eligar discussed his recent activities, including his work as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado, his involvement with the journal Astropolitics, and his focus on lunar governance and astropolitics. He highlighted the growing interest in cislunar space and lunar governance, noting a significant increase in paper submissions to the journal and plans for a special issue and international conference on the topic. Eligar also mentioned the prominent role of defense and military interests in the current space industry, particularly with the Space Force’s increasing budget and focus on space superiority. The conversation touched on personal updates, including Eligar’s children’s current activities and his relationship status.
Eligar discussed the emerging focus on cislunar space at a recent space symposium, highlighting the strategic importance of establishing governance structures and securing gravitational high ground in the Earth-Moon system. He noted that while the Artemis program aims for aggressive lunar exploration and potential human habitation by 2032, there are significant challenges with the Space Launch System’s sustainability and the reliance on new commercial capabilities like SpaceX’s Starship. Eligar emphasized that the civil program appears to be a cover for establishing U.S. superiority in the cislunar domain, particularly in response to geopolitical competition with China and Russia.
The discussion focused on concerns about proposed NASA science cuts and their impact on the space community. Eligar noted that while there was awareness of these cuts during networking discussions at the Space Symposium, there was limited pushback, with many participants appearing to align with the Trump administration’s direction. The conversation then shifted to broader governance challenges in the cislunar domain, with Eligar emphasizing the need for maintaining space as a commons and establishing rules for interoperability among the 62 states participating in the Artemis program. The discussion concluded with a reference to a 20-year-old paper co-authored by Eligar and David on public-private partnerships in lunar development, which remains relevant to current space governance challenges.
Eligar discussed the challenges of establishing a permanent lunar presence, highlighting issues such as freedom of movement, resource utilization, and the harsh lunar environment, including metallic and adhesive dust. He emphasized the need for reusable and sustainable lunar transportation systems, suggesting that achieving a cost of $100 per kilogram with Starship could be crucial. Eligar also explained the concept of cislunar space as the gravitational high ground incorporating Lagrange points between Earth and the Moon, which provides access to various orbital domains and the lunar surface. Joe noted the disconnect between desired goals and current capabilities, advocating for increased repetition in accessing lunar space to support a permanent presence.
The discussion focused on NASA’s lunar mission plans and budget constraints. Joe expressed concerns that the Moon Enterprise would likely crowd out other NASA programs due to limited congressional funding, similar to previous large initiatives like the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. Eligar agreed that SLS is not sustainable, noting it’s only planned for up to Artemis 5 with a cadence of one launch per year, and emphasized the geopolitical aspects driving the lunar race, including the need for reusable transportation systems and establishing a presence in the Aitken Basin for potential mining opportunities.
The discussion focused on the Space Symposium’s emphasis on getting to the lunar surface first rather than focusing on sustainability or cost efficiency. Eligar noted that while there was general support for the Artemis program and Accords, there was limited discussion about alternative lunar surface models or modifications to the current Artemis plan. The conversation highlighted a potential disconnect between the symposium’s rhetoric about achieving rapid progress and budgetary realities, including concerns about over-reliance on Starship variants and cuts to science programs. John suggested that the science program cuts might be a strategic budget maneuver similar to defense programs, with the expectation that Congress would eventually restore funding.
Eligar discussed NASA’s proposed permanent lunar presence around 2030 and debated various technical choices in rocket design and propulsion. The conversation then shifted to concerns about space congestion, particularly with multiple satellite constellations being planned by different countries, though Eligar noted that cislunar space remains decades away from similar congestion issues. David raised questions about the global scope of the astropolitics journal, with contributions coming from scholars in developing space states who are focused on using space for socio-economic development rather than military dominance.
The group discussed perceptions of Jared Isaacman and NASA’s leadership in space governance, particularly regarding the Artemis program. Eligar explained that while there are good ideas in the current approach, there are concerns about U.S. dominance in space policy, noting a European concept of “equivalence” where different countries could develop governance approaches independently while maintaining interoperability standards. The discussion highlighted the tension between U.S. efforts to establish space superiority and the need for international cooperation, with Joe emphasizing that China and the U.S. are the dominant powers in space, making other countries effectively choose between aligning with one of these powers.
We also discussed the growing importance of satellite communication systems for military purposes, with Joe noting that multiple countries are developing Starlink-like systems following the Ukraine war. They explored the challenges of denying access to these systems and the potential for kinetic attacks on satellites, with Eligar emphasizing the importance of establishing governance structures and rules of the road in space. The discussion concluded with Eligar providing an update on the journal Astropolitics, which is growing in influence among emerging space powers and has expanded its editorial board with new members including someone from the Romanian Space Agency.
Eligar then mentioned plans for a special issue of Astropolitics journal focused on lunar astropolitics, governance strategy, and policy dynamics in cislunar space, with a global conference planned for early next year and publication expected in a year to year and a half. He agreed to provide David with contact information for potential guests for the Space Show and discussed the possibility of updating a previous article with Haym and himself in the fall. Regarding the timeline for returning humans to the Moon, Eligar expressed doubt about the 2028 target, suggesting 2030 would be more realistic due to ongoing challenges with the lunar landing vehicle.
The group discussed public-private partnerships in space, with Eligar noting that realistic timelines for landing vehicles are now around 2030 rather than 2028 due to delays on both Blue Origin and SpaceX sides. Joe raised questions about international public-private partnerships, particularly in countries like India, while Eligar shared insights about emerging space capabilities in countries like Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The discussion concluded with plans to follow up on these topics in a future issue of Astropolitics journal, with Eligar offering to rewrite and get the paper peer-reviewed.
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