Space Strategy Podcast - Episode 58: The Strategic Moon, Safety Zones, Property Rights and Golden Dome: Ross Centers

Related Categories: Democracy and Governance; Energy Security; Intelligence and Counterintelligence; Military Innovation; Missile Defense; Science and Technology; Warfare; NATO; Resource Security; SPACE; NASA; China
Related Expert: Peter Garretson

In this episode, Peter Garretson sits down with Ross Centers, CEO of Ethos Space explore his ambitious vision for creating large-scale space infrastructure. The conversation covers the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines, the concept of a planetary sunshade, and Center’s work with the Planetary Sunshade Foundation—including how this ethical 'north star' shapes Ethos Space’s mission. They dive into critical infrastructure needs including landing pads (to avoid what Center’s refers to as 'hypersonic blunderbusses'), refueling stations, and Lunar Data centers. The discussion explores the national security implications of the Moon and the importance of securing the “Strategic Flank” in the Golden Dome framework. The converstion also examines space property rights and the necessity of establishing “facts on the ground,” drawing parallels between Billy Mitchell’s historical aviation vision and today’s Cislunar space challenges. Finally, they close by discussing the coming transformation of the U.S. Space Force from a “brownwater” force to a deep-space, “bluewater” force.