The new space race: How politics is shaping the battle for the final frontier

The modern space race is increasingly political, driven by national pride, military strategy, and economic competition. The US, China, and Russia are investing heavily in space technology, viewing dominance in orbit and beyond as a geopolitical advantage. Private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin add complexity, often aligning with government interests.

The Artemis Accords and China’s space alliances highlight a growing divide, reminiscent of Cold War-era rivalries. Space is now a battleground for influence, with debates over satellite weaponization, lunar resource rights, and space governance fueling tensions. As nations push further, it looks like politics will shape humanity’s future beyond Earth.

As nations push further, it looks like politics will shape humanity’s future beyond Earth

Last year, a Reuters report informed that China has been building space alliances in Africa. Egypt is one of 23 African nations that have formed space partnerships with China. China has forged nearly two-dozen pacts with African nations in its bid to surpass the US in space. Investments in satellites, telescopes and ground stations on the continent are helping Beijing expand its soft power and boost its global surveillance and military capabilities. It all comes as America slashes help for developing countries.

Other nations are taking notice. The chief executive of Airbus said that Europe’s space industry needs to restructure and consolidate in the face of private US competition and investments in China and elsewhere.

Some nations have lost out in the race too. The bankruptcy filing by Virgin Orbit dashed Japan’s hopes of building a domestic space industry, with plans for a Kyushu-based spaceport on hold for lack of funding. Virgin Orbit had been marketed itself as a military and intelligence satellite launch platform for the US and its allies, at a time when both Washington and Tokyo see China’s rise as a space power as a concern.

Last year, there were speculations that Elon Musk’s Mars dream could get a boost from Trump’s victory. Reuters said that the SpaceX CEO’s dream of transporting humans to Mars is likely to become a bigger national priority under the Trump administration, indicating toward big changes for NASA’s moon program and a boost for SpaceX. And now, in March, Musk has announced that an unmanned SpaceX Starship mission will be followed by human landings as early as 2029.

“Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely,” Musk said on X.

Meanwhile, private space companies like Axiom Space are proposing to build private structures that can replace the International Space Station Space Station. Will this be the commercial takeover of lower Earth orbit? Will governments have to seek permission before venturing into this bit of space soon?

According to a Reddit comment, “Wait until they get to the Moon, Mars and the Asteroid Belt. Governments will be asking the corporations for permission to enter their space.”

Last September, in what Reuters called Musk’s riskiest bid to push the boundaries of commercial spaceflight, two SpaceX civilian clients completed the world’s first private spacewalk in orbit outside a SpaceX capsule, wearing a new line of spacesuits in a risky feat previously exclusive to astronauts from national space programs. Events like these are a sure indicator of the presence of private players in space.

While space debris remains a real concern, for which, I’m sure a startup is already collecting funding to start as a space cleaning company, territory claiming in space is in full swing. If you’ve watched the 2016 National Geographic show Mars, you have some idea of how resources are likely already going to be claimed by private companies and strong governments. Basically, new planet, but Earth’s story on repeat.