2051: Luna and Orbit

The first half of the 21st Century saw humanity spread out into space, setting up colonies reaching the edge of the solar system, terraforming planets and moons, and even moving the largest asteroids into new orbits. In the Earth-Luna system, this was largely limited to the development of the Moon and the Lagrangian points. Asteroids were positioned and parked into stable gravitational pockets around the Earth and the moon, either to serve as anchors for the great elevators, or quarried in clusters for mining. By 2050, the US Geological Survey estimated that 25% of all raw materials used on Earth were mined in space, and the computer and pharma industries had become dependent on in-space manufacturing and research. The GDP of the Lunar and Orbital Economies exceeded 25 Trillion-USD, largely controlled by the US and Japan who had committed the most resources toward capturing asteroids and developing infrastructure in space.

While both the US and Japan held relatively equal sway over Cislunar space, the Moon was increasingly seen as being dominated by the United States. American Lunar colonies were home to 70% of the lunar population, controlled 83% of all Helium-3 reserves, and the Tycho shipyards that birthed the Orbital Command Stations serviced the creation of fleets of ships, both civilian and military. Meanwhile, Japan's bases were predominantly military or research in nature, and were positioned on the Far Side of the Moon. American dominance of the Moon was largely responsible for continued American dominance in Space. The Asteroids were too vulnerable to serve as bases for military operations (though Japan was certainly challenging that with their facilities on the Akiyama asteroid at L3), while the Moon was far more defensible and control of its Helium-3 industry allowed the US to field and fuel its Orbital Command Stations that surrounded the Earth and had been used to blockade Japan's sea and space assets to devastating effect.

Many feel if war will break out between the US and Japan, it will start in space. Likely on the Moon where Japan has been building up its military positions since its nuclear test in 2039. The US and Japan are both believed to possess secret military instillations across the Lunar surface, preparing for what many in the US Space Command belive will be inevitable.