David Zesinger is the first Space Force faculty member at the U.S. Army War Collegee, and he’s in the studio to discuss the vital role of space in national security. He joins host Tom Spahr to discuss the functions of the Space Force versus U.S. Space Command and how the strategic landscape is shifting towards a “1492 moment.” Zesinger explains how this new age of discovery is fueled by plummeting launch costs and the moon’s untapped resources, such as helium-3, which could provide thousands of years of clean energy. Space is no longer a sanctuary; it is a contested warfighting domain where adversaries like China and Russia are rapidly developing capabilities to target American assets. Zesinger emphasizes that building cross-service camaraderie and cooperation is essential to maintaining national security in this critical domain.
Space is a warfighting domain. We all understand that superficially, but maybe not deep down. Space is another venue for us to throw rocks at each other and for conflict and competition.
Podcast: Download
David Zesinger is an active-duty U.S. Space Force Space Operations Officer. He currently serves on the U.S. Army War College faculty in the Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations.
Thomas W. Spahr is the DeSerio Chair of Strategic and Theater Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College. He is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army and holds a Ph.D. in History from The Ohio State University. He teaches courses at the Army War College on Military Campaigning and Intelligence.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo Credit: Generated by Gemini
