Could the moon ever be blockaded? Experts predict cislunar space could be the next Strait of Hormuz

The ongoing military conflict regarding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz may well mirror a future situation off-Earth — the use of cislunar space, the region between the moon and our planet. Think blockades, seizing of ships, impacts on the global economy, repercussions in terms of needed resources and markets, from fuel to high-tech semiconductors and production processes. Now turn your attention skyward and note that the U.S. Space Force is establishing a dedicated acquisition office to appraise the importance of the cislunar region for warfighting and national security. In recent weeks, there has been palpable excitement over NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission and the announcement of the space agency's ambitious plans for human habitation of the moon . "In parallel, Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, causing global energy markets to spike and everyone to notice, yet again, how vulnerable we are to accidents of geography," said Marc Feldman, executive director of the Center for the Study of Space Crime, Piracy & Governance . "Sometimes, a pair of events contains a warning, if you are able to see it", Feldman added. Are we seeing the start of "Strait talk" in outer space? The closure of the Strait of Hormuz should inform our thinking about inhabiting the moon and defending cislunar space, said Feldman and Hugh Taylor, also a co-founder of the Center. They authored the 2025 book Space Piracy: Preparing for a Criminal Crisis in Orbit . …