U.S. Space Command · The Space Warfighting Environment 2040

First-mover advantage in cislunar space

"The first actor to thoroughly map this environment, understand its natural chokepoints, establish mobility pathways, and define behavioral norms will shape the foundation upon which all others must operate."

• The terrain, not the speculation. Earth, Moon and the Lagrange points contain areas of gravitational stability, maneuver corridors and vantage points where presence confers positional advantage.
• EML1 is the chokepoint. Every low-energy path between the lunar surface and cislunar space passes through it. Persistence there costs almost no propellant.
• Early positioning is decisive. "In a region governed by physics and opportunity, early positioning is not simply advantageous—it is decisive."

A lunar elevator anchored at Sinus Medii and tensioned through EML1 is the cheapest durable way to hold that key terrain.