By WILSON MACAULAY

Copyright independent

In my earlier article, “How the Colonization of the Moon Be-gan,” I argued that the strug-gle in space had gone far be-yond planting flags on distant worlds. Today, that struggle has evolved into a contest over who controls the affairs of the earthly universe itself.

Once, the Cold War defined space politics. The U.S. and the Soviet Union raced to the Moon, with the American flag finally tri-umphing in 1969. But in 2025, the battle has shifted. It is no longer about who gets there first—it is about who stays, controls, and benefits.

Senator Ted Cruz recently warned during a Senate hearing that “we are in a new space race, and China is closing in fast.” His concern underscores a reality: the outcome of this rivalry will not only determine who walks on the Moon next, but who reaps the trillion-dollar rewards tied to lunar resources, satellite econo-mies, and orbital security.

NASA’s Artemis program— now delayed to 2027—seeks to es-tablish a permanent human pres-ence on the Moon. China, with its Chang’e program, plans a lunar landing before 2030. Both powers are eyeing lunar ice, which can be converted into fuel, and rare minerals that could power future technologies.

Analysts say whichever nation controls these resources will hold economic leverage over indus-tries on Earth. “Lunar mining is not science fiction anymore—it is economic strategy,” notes Dr. Maria Lopez, a space policy re-searcher based in Brussels.

In the U.S., budget cuts to NA-SA’s science missions have raised fears of America ceding ground. Meanwhile, China’s centralized model allows it to fast-track proj-ects with fewer bureaucratic hur-dles.

Adding another layer, Pres-ident Donald Trump have an-nounced that U.S. Space Com-mand headquarters would move to Huntsville, Alabama—aligning with the city’s aerospace hub but raising eyebrows about po-litical motivations. This comes alongside a $175 billion push for missile defense and orbital mili-tarization.

Critics warn that pouring re-sources into space warfare at the expense of scientific exploration risks undermining the very inno-vation that fuels the U.S. econo-my. “If we only build weapons in space, we’ll win battles but lose the future,” argues Dr. Jonathan Pierce of MIT. Michigan Institute of Technology.

Europe’s ESA continues to emphasize collaboration, link-ing climate change monitoring to space investment. India, with Chandrayaan-3, has positioned it-self as the “affordable innovator,” driving private-sector growth in satellite launches and deepening its global partnerships.

But perhaps the most under-reported story is how the Global South, especially Africa, is begin-ning to enter the arena.

Africa may not yet be com-peting with the U.S. or China for lunar colonies, but the continent understands that controlling or-bit is tied to sovereignty, security, and economic independence.

Nigeria: Through the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria has launched several satellites—Ni-geriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-2, and Ni-geriaSat-X—focused on agricul-ture, disaster monitoring, and communication. The country’s long-term goal includes build-ing its own satellites locally and training a new generation of space engineers.

South Africa: The South Afri-can National Space Agency (SAN-SA) leads in Earth observation, climate monitoring, and astron-omy, hosting the world’s largest radio telescope project (MeerKAT and part of the Square Kilome-tre Array). This gives Africa a critical role in global scientific networks.

In 2017, the AU adopted the Af-rican Space Policy and Strategy, aiming to coordinate continental efforts in satellite navigation, weather forecasting, and space science. The policy explicitly links space technology to Africa’s Agenda 2063 vision of econom-ic integration and self-reliance starting with agriculture where we have comparative advantage.

Dr. Amina Okafor, a La-gos-based aerospace analyst, ex-plains: “For Africa, space is not about prestige—it’s about food security, communications, and protecting our resources. Satel-lites already help farmers predict weather patterns, monitor oil theft, and even secure borders.”

Satellites drive communica-tion and trade. Starlink and rival constellations are rewriting the rules of internet access. Africa, with its connectivity gaps, stands to gain or lose depending on how policies are set.

Resource wars may move to space. Moon ice and asteroid met-als could create industries larger than oil. African nations rich in terrestrial minerals must plan to avoid being left behind in the next resource scramble.

Innovation trickles down. From robotics to AI, space re-search creates civilian technolo-gies that reshape economies.

Geopolitics is rewritten. Coun-tries investing in space gain leverage not just in orbit, but in global negotiations—from trade deals to climate agreements.

The politics of space travel has grown beyond the struggle of which nation plants its flag first like I noted on the onset. The question now is: Who will control the economy of space, and by ex-tension, the destiny of Earth?

As I argued in my earlier work, the colonization of the Moon is no longer a dream—it is a start-ing point. The deeper struggle is unfolding in boardrooms, parlia-ments, and launchpads across the globe, where decisions about bud-gets, treaties, and partnerships are quietly redrawing the map of power.

For Africa, the lesson is ur-gent: space is no longer a luxury. It is a frontier of sovereignty, se-curity, and survival. To remain a passive observer is to risk being written out of the future.

African leaders must rise to this challenge—by investing in indigenous space programs, training young scientists, and embracing continental collab-oration under the AU. Because east or west, one truth remains unchanged: knowledge is power.

And in the politics of space, knowledge—channeled through satellites, rockets, and explora-tion—will decide which nations prospers most and which ones are left behind.

*Comrade Macaulay is a journal-ist and public affairs commenta-tor ([email protected]; 08030886420