Pentagon mulls placing fleet of military satellites around the Moon

The US military is considering deploying a constellation of satellites around the Moon, following a December executive order from President Trump and recent statements from the Space Force's acquisitions chief. The satellites would be part of a 'proliferated cislunar constellation' and would likely be used for surveillance and missile warning data collection. The military's goal is to protect US interests at the Moon as the US and China ramp up their lunar programs. The US Space Force's most distant satellites are currently in geostationary orbit, 22,000 miles above the equator. The US military sees the Moon as a warfighting domain and is looking to expand its presence there, but the exact mission and number of satellites are still unclear. The lunar surface has a finite number of safe landing zones that can access the Moon's water ice, which is a valuable resource.