Agentic AI in space warfare is not risk-free: Military advantage belongs to those who control it 

Agentic AI in space operations is already defining the next era of military advantage, enabling warfighters to sense, decide and act at machine speed across global constellations. China’s Siwei Gaojing-2 satellites are designed with a “self-driving” capability to understand their surroundings and maneuver autonomously without ground intervention. At the onset of Operation Epic Fury, the Chinese company MizarVision claimed to use AI to analyze satellite data and expose the movements and refueling patterns of American aircraft and ships. This emerging reality, and the potential threats it brings, should be a wake-up call for the United States’ interests in space and spur our own efforts to decisively develop, control and employ agentic AI for space operations. At the same time, Space Force leaders must recognize that agentic AI in space warfare is not risk-free, and that true military advantage belongs to those who most effectively mitigate its risks.