Building Space Power Using the Theories of Alfred Thayer Mahan

A coherent body of theory for space has not been established, but several parallels between the space and sea domains suggest Mahan's theories, through written130 years ago, can offer insights for competing in space. Mahan's framework, combined, as this paper will demonstrate, with our technological advantages in space, will enable the United States to build space power and successfully complete in the space domain. Mahan teaches that sea power is obtained by the combination of production, shipping, and colonies and markets. Translated into the space domain, the United States must establish persistent human occupied colonies and stations in the domain. To accomplish this, we must be prepared to operate and develop three types of production and shipping, the traditional Earth-based manufacture of rockets, capsules, and associated equipment for space exploration, digital products and transmissions back to Earth, and in-space manufacturing. The melding of these three ideas, production, shipping, and colonies and markets, will allow the United States to successfully compete in space, and develop, in a word, space power