Space has long been treated as a supporting element of military power—essential, but secondary to operations on land, at sea, and in the air.
That reality has changed.
In a recent interview with Military.com, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Brook Leonard, a former senior U.S. space commander who helped stand up U.S. Space Command and later oversaw global space operations supporting U.S. and allied forces, said the domain has crossed a threshold, one that fundamentally reshapes how nations project power and compete.
Leonard, now CEO of Rogue Space Systems, said the shift is already underway.
“Space, for me, is moving from being an extension of national power and sovereignty to the foundation of it,” Leonard said.
That shift is not theoretical. It is already embedded in how modern militaries operate—and in how the global economy functions.
The Invisible Backbone of Daily Life
For many Americans, space is synonymous with GPS, satellite TV, or weather forecasts. But Leonard said the true dependence runs far deeper and is often overlooked.
“You can’t use your credit card at the gas pump without the GPS timing signal,” he said. “All of the cryptology…is based on that timing signal.”
That reliance extends across nearly every sector, from financial systems and global shipping to agriculture and emergency response.
It is even more pronounced in military operations.
Leonard pointed to missions like suppression of enemy air defenses, where precision timing, communication, and geolocation are essential.
Without space-based systems, those operations simply don’t function.
“That mission is completely scrapped,” he said, describing what happens when those capabilities are degraded.
“Everything that every sort of other service relies on…runs through the space domain,” Leonard added. “Without it, you’re back to sextant and compass.”
A Shift Still Taking Hold
Despite that dependence, Leonard believes the full implications of space as a foundational domain are still being absorbed.
Leonard said the biggest barrier may not be capability—but mindset.
“I would kind of configure the equation as probably 70% not being able to get out of our past paradigms,” he said.
The rest, he suggested, comes from more active resistance: communities that recognize change is happening but remain invested in traditional models of warfare, platforms, and power.
Those paradigms are rooted in decades of dominance in traditional war-fighting domains of air, land, and sea, where platforms and physical presence defined power.
But space operates differently.
The shift is less about replacing those domains and more about recognizing that they now depend on a layer that sits above them.
The challenge, Leonard said, is that changing how leaders think about power can be harder than building new technology.
A Domain Without Boundaries
Part of that challenge stems from the unique nature of space itself.
Unlike traditional domains, space has no clear borders. Satellites routinely pass over sovereign territory, collecting data and enabling capabilities that cross national lines.
At the same time, the distinction between military, commercial, and civil systems is increasingly blurred.
“There’s no differentiation between commerce, civil…and military use,” Leonard said.
That convergence creates both opportunity and risk.
A single satellite might support secure military communications while also enabling commercial services. Disrupting that system could affect both battlefield operations and civilian infrastructure.
“You take out a certain satellite, you’re going to disrupt…thousands of people,” he said.
Competition Is Accelerating
As the domain evolves, so does the competition.
Countries like China have moved aggressively to integrate space into their broader strategic approach, linking it closely with cyber, information, and economic tools.
“They are very much into the informational, cyber, and space as the great unlock into everything else,” Leonard said.
That approach reflects a recognition that space is not just a military domain, but a strategic enabler across all instruments of national power.
At the same time, recent conflicts have demonstrated how quickly space-based capabilities can influence events on the ground.
Commercial satellite imagery, for example, has been used to expose troop movements and shape global narratives in near real time, changing the information environment before traditional military responses can even unfold.
The Role of Commercial Power
One of the United States’ key advantages in this evolving domain is its commercial space sector.
From launch providers to satellite imagery companies, private industry has become deeply integrated into national security operations.
Leonard pointed to that relationship as a source of both strength and complexity.
“I do see us leveraging commercial partners more and more,” he said.
That integration allows for rapid innovation and expanded capability, but it also introduces new dependencies that must be managed carefully.
A Moment of Decision
For Leonard, the central issue is not whether the United States can compete in space; it is how quickly it can adapt to the domain’s new reality.
The country retains significant advantages, including technological leadership, operational experience, and a dynamic commercial sector.
“I think we’ve always done great when we’ve woken up to the challenge,” he said.
The question is whether that adaptation comes proactively or in response to a crisis.
The Path Forward
As space becomes more central to both military operations and daily life, the need for broader awareness is growing.
Leonard emphasized the importance of education, not just within the military, but across the public.
“There’s a bigger gap… than even just the civilian-military gap,” he said.
Understanding how deeply space is embedded in modern systems will be critical as policymakers, military leaders, and the public make decisions about its future.
A Domain That Shapes Everything Else
The shift Leonard describes is already underway.
Space is no longer a niche capability or a supporting function. It is the layer that enables everything from global commerce to modern warfare.
The United States is not starting from behind, but it is operating at a moment where adaptation will determine advantage.
The question is no longer whether space matters.
It is how quickly nations adjust to the reality that it now underpins everything else.
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