At the 8th and final National Space Council meeting of the Trump Administration, Vice-President Mike Pence used the occasion to unveil a new National Space Policy and provided Council members who are likely leaving an opportunity to make unscripted remarks. Outgoing NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also unveiled the first 18 astronauts selected to go back to the Moon. There is a lot to unpack from the 8th National Space Council meeting.
It’s unknown at this time if this was the final meeting of the Council as we’ve yet to hear if the Biden administration will keep the it going. While very much a White House show, the National Space Council did deal with issues that are important to US space policy.
Without acknowledging that this was his final National Space Council meeting, Vice-President Pence sounded like someone who was saying goodbye. He spent a great deal of time discussing all of the Council’s accomplishments. In turn, council members including Wilbur Ross, United States Secretary of Commerce, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and others lauded the Trump administration.
There were several issues discussed, but the one issue that seem to stand out was China. Vice-President Pence stated that China is an emerging competitor in space as its recent Lunar sample return mission demonstrated. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe went much further saying that “China poses the greatest national security threat to the United States” and that also includes their activities in space. He also stated that Russia has been behaving provocatively in space.
Ratcliffe also said that the DNI was looking at making the Space Force the 18th member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and that a decision was expected in next month or two.
New National Space Policy
The last time the National Space Policy was updated was during the Obama administration in 2010.
In press release the White House highlighted the following from the new National Space Policy which you read and download below:
The United States is committed to cultivating a robust and competitive United States industrial base for space.
- This policy proactively supports and promotes the creation of global and domestic markets for United States space goods and services through emphasizing:
- Cultivation of innovation and entrepreneurship;
- Reduced regulatory burden;
- Fair and open global trade; and
- Use of commercial data and capabilities, including specific guidance for the national security and civil space communities.
The United States will engage in expanded international cooperation in space activities.
- The President is seeking additional international collaboration, via United States leadership, for the purposes of establishing standards of safe and responsible behavior in space, promoting international use of United States space capabilities, encouraging international support for the recovery and use of outer space resources, and ensuring security and stability in space by reducing chances of misperception and miscalculation through transparency and confidence-building measures.
The United States will continue its bold pursuits in space exploration.
- The President is firmly committed to his direction to move space exploration goals beyond low-Earth orbit and return humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.
- The policy also provides specific guidance concerning:
- Developing commercial platforms to sustain a continuous American presence in and utilization of low-Earth orbit;
- Maintaining a robotic presence in the solar system with international and commercial partners; and
- Expanding the detection of hazardous Near-Earth Objects.
The United States is adapting its national security to defeat aggression and protect United States interests in space.
- Recognizing that strength and security in space contribute to United States and international security and stability, the President directs that the Nation must:
- Sustain robust space domain awareness of all activities in space with the ability to characterize and attribute potentially threatening behavior;
- Communicate to competitors which space activities the United States considers undesirable or irresponsible, while promoting, demonstrating, and communicating responsible norms of behavior;
- Develop assured, credible, and demonstrable responses to defend vital national interests in space;
- Employ resilient space-enabled missions that reduce the impact or deny the effectiveness of adversaries’ actions; and
- Generate synchronized diplomatic, information, military, and economic strategies that:
- Deter adversaries and other actors from conducting activities that may threaten the peaceful use of space by the United States, its allies, and partners; and
- Compel and impose costs on adversaries to cease behaviors that threaten the peaceful use of space by the United States, its allies, and partners.
Astronauts selected to return to the Moon
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the following 18 astronauts, the Artemis Team, who will return to the Moon, either to the Lunar Gateway or to the surface and included a equal number of men and women.
The Artemis Team members are:
Joseph Acaba was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. He has spent 306 days in space and performed three spacewalks. The Anaheim, California, native holds a bachelor’s degree in geology, as well as master’s degrees in geology and education. Before coming to NASA, he taught high school science and middle school math and science.
Kayla Barron was chosen as an astronaut in 2017. Originally from Richland, Washington, she earned a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering. As a submarine warfare officer, Barron was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community. She is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.
Raja Chari joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He received a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering and a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School graduate worked on F-15E upgrades and then the F-35 development program, before coming to NASA.
Matthew Dominick was chosen as an astronaut in 2017. Born in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, he holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in systems engineering. He also graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and was a developmental test pilot specializing in aircraft carrier launches and landings before coming to NASA.
Victor Glover was selected as an astronaut in 2013. The Pomona, California, native and U.S. Navy Commander earned a bachelor’s degree in general engineering and master’s degrees in flight test engineering, systems engineering, and military operational art and science. He piloted the Crew-1 Dragon Resilience and is currently serving as an Expedition 64 flight engineer aboard the International Space Station.
Warren Hoburg joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics, and a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science. Before coming to NASA, he was an assistant professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a seasonal member of the Yosemite Search and Rescue team.
Jonny Kim came to NASA as part of the 2017 astronaut class. The Los Angeles, California, native enlisted in the U.S. Navy following high school. He became a Navy SEAL before earning his commission and going back to school to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, followed by a doctor of medicine.
Christina Hammock Koch was selected as an astronaut in 2013 and holds the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman, with 328 days in space and six spacewalks. She grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and received bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics, and a master’s degree in electrical engineering.
Kjell Lindgren was chosen as an astronaut in 2009. He spent 141 days in space and performed two spacewalks. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, he holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in cardiovascular physiology and a doctor of medicine. Before becoming an astronaut, he was a flight surgeon supporting space shuttle and space station missions.
Nicole A. Mann joined the astronaut corps in 2013 and is currently training as pilot for the Crew Flight Test of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner. Born in Petaluma, California, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. The U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel was an F/A-18 fighter pilot and graduate from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
Anne McClain, from Spokane, Washington, joined the astronaut corps in 2013. She has spent 204 days in space and conducted two spacewalks. The U.S. Army lieutenant colonel is a Senior Army Aviator and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School as a helicopter test pilot. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical/aeronautical engineering, and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering and international relations.
Jessica Meir was chosen as an astronaut in 2013. She has spent 205 days in space and performed three spacewalks. A native of Caribou, Maine, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in space studies, and a doctorate in marine biology. Before coming to NASA, she studied the physiology of animals in extreme environments.
Jasmin Moghbeli joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A major in the U.S. Marine Corps, she was raised in Baldwin, New York. She received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering. She also graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and tested H-1 helicopters before she came to NASA.
Kate Rubins was chosen as an astronaut in 2009 and is currently orbiting Earth on her second flight aboard the International Space Station. She was raised in Napa, California, and holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and a doctorate in cancer biology. She was the first person to sequence DNA in space and has performed two spacewalks.
Frank Rubio was selected as part of the 2017 astronaut class. The U.S. Army lieutenant colonel considers Miami, Florida, his hometown. He earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a doctor of medicine. He served as both a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and a flight surgeon in the Army before coming to NASA.
Scott Tingle came to NASA to join the 2009 astronaut class. The U.S. Navy captain has spent 168 days in space and performed one spacewalk. He considers Randolph, Massachusetts, his hometown and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He also graduated from the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School.
Jessica Watkins joined the astronaut corps in 2017. The Lafayette, Colorado, native received a bachelor’s degree in geological and environmental sciences, and a doctorate in geology. Before becoming an astronaut, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology, where she served as a member of the science team for the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity.
Stephanie Wilson was chosen as an astronaut in 1996. A veteran of three space shuttle flights, she has spent 42 days in space. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. Before becoming an astronaut, she worked on the Galileo spacecraft at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.