At this month’s first meeting of the newly-reconstituted National Space Council, Vice President Mike Pence announced the lofty goal of returning U.S. astronauts to the moon as a stepping stone to expanded human space exploration and the restoration of America’s dominance in space.

But the vice president also had a warning. “According to the U.S. intelligence community, Russia and China are pursuing a full range of anti-satellite technology to reduce U.S. military effectiveness, and they are increasingly considering attacks against satellite systems as part of their future warfare doctrine,” Pence said.