U.S. Space Force Commander Declares Onset of Second Space Race
U.S. Space Force Colonel James Horne III, commander of Vandenberg Space Force Base, has explicitly characterized current global aerospace activities as the commencement of a “second space race.” Speaking on the rapid evolution of launch operations and strategic developments, Col. Horne stated, “We’re in the beginnings of the second space race. That’s what you’re seeing,” underscoring the intensity of the current operational environment.
This assessment arrives during a period of historic growth in orbital launch cadence, particularly at Vandenberg Space Force Base, which has seen a dramatic increase in activity driven by both government and private sector partnerships. Unlike the Cold War-era competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, which focused primarily on symbolic firsts and exploration, this modern iteration involves a multifaceted struggle for orbital dominance, resource acquisition, and satellite network supremacy. Major global powers, specifically the United States and China, are heavily investing in lunar programs and space-based defense capabilities, treating the cosmos as a critical domain for national security and economic infrastructure.
However, the framing of this expansion as a binary “race” faces scrutiny from various policy experts and international observers. Critics argue that applying Cold War rhetoric to modern spaceflight risks accelerating the militarization of space and dismantling long-standing frameworks for peaceful international cooperation. Furthermore, industry analysts point out that a significant portion of current activity is driven by commercial market forces—such as the deployment of internet constellations—rather than purely geopolitical rivalry. Skeptics maintain that viewing these developments solely through a military lens overlooks the collaborative potential of scientific exploration and the economic imperatives of the private space sector.
