Space Strategy - Episode 19: Tyler Bates, USSF: “Fortune Favors the Bold” Cislunar Mission Concepts for the DoD

Related Categories: Democracy and Governance; Energy Security; Military Innovation; Science and Technology; SPACE; NASA; China
Related Expert: Peter Garretson

In this episode, Senior Fellow in Defense Studies Peter Garretson interviews Tyler Bates, a Captain in the USSF about his article in The Space Force Journal about Cislunar Mission Concepts for the Department of Defense.  They discuss the strategic importance of the Moon, China's activities, and potential U.S. Space Force roles in enabling and securing commerce.  They delve into specific mission concepts of satellite communication, precision navigation and timing, space domain awareness, Lunar surface awareness, as well as deep space search and rescue and planetary defense. They also cover how Tyler got interested in Cislunar, what made him join the Space Force, what it is like to be a guardian, and how the Space Force's culture is evolving.

Tyler Bates:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-bates-9770b21b6/ 

Tyler's Article:
https://thespaceforcejournal.com/issue-2-7-cislunar

The Space Force Journal: 
https://thespaceforcejournal.com/

Space Capstone Publication: Spacepower:
https://www.spaceforce.mil/Portals/1/Space%20Capstone%20Publication_10%20Aug%202020.pdf

The Guardian Ideal
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Sep/21/2002858512/-1/-1/1/GUARDIAN%20IDEAL%20-%20FINAL.PDF

A Primer on Cislunar Space:
https://www.afrl.af.mil/Portals/90/Documents/RV/A%20Primer%20on%20Cislunar%20Space_Dist%20A_PA2021-1271.pdf?ver=vs6e0sE4PuJ51QC-15DEfg%3D%3D  

Artemis Accords: 
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html

Artemis Program: 
https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/

China in Space: A Strategic Competition?: 
https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/Namrata%20Goswami%20USCC%2025%20April.pdf 

Gray Zone Project: 
https://www.csis.org/grayzone

Planetary Defense White Paper:
https://assets.pubpub.org/ylzrdc5n/41617915537633.pdf

China International Lunar Research Station:
http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c6812150/content.html

NASA-USSF MOU: 
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nasa_ussf_mou_21_sep_20.pdf

NASA Nuclear Thermal:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-announces-nuclear-thermal-propulsion-reactor-concept-awards

DARPA DRACO:
https://www.darpa.mil/program/demonstration-rocket-for-agile-cislunar-operations

NASA Fission Surface Power:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/fission-surface-power/index.html

Executive Order Promoting Small Nuclear Reactors for Space Exploration
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/14/2021-01013/promoting-small-modular-reactors-for-national-defense-and-space-exploration

DART:
https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart

2020 National Space Policy:
https://spp.fas.org/eprint/nsp-2020.pdf

A New Vision for Deep Space Exploration and Development:
https://fas.org/spp/eprint/new-era-2020.pdf

Space Policy Directive 1: ‘‘Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system
and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities. Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations;
https://fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspm/spd-1.pdf