posted 06-30-2017 03:33 PM               

This order is intended to re-establish the National Space Council as an independent entity tasked with advising and assisting the President with national space policy and strategy. Executive Order 12675 of April 20, 1989 (Establishing the National Space Council) created the Council, and the Council effectively ceased operation in 1993. This order re-establishes the Council and provides additional details regarding the Council's duties and responsibilities.

The signing ceremony, held in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, was attended by members of Congress and members of the space community, including AIAA president (and former astronaut) Sandy Magnus, former flight director Gene Kranz and astronauts David Wolf, Al Drew and Buzz Aldrin. Per a pool report:

After the signing, [Trump] looked around and asked the room who he should give the pen he signed the order to — and when people responded "Buzz" he handed Aldrin the pen.

The order appoints the Vice President to lead the Space Council, which will be staffed by representatives of various cabinet agencies and NASA. As SpaceNews reports, the order also establishes a "Users' Advisory Group," which will provide outside advice to the council on space issues.

...the Users' Advisory Board [will ensure] "the interests of industries and other non-Federal entities involved in space activities, including in particular commercial entities, are adequately represented in the Council."

posted 06-30-2017 05:30 PM               

NASA Statement on National Space Council

The following is a statement from acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot about Friday's Executive Order creating the National Space Council:

I am pleased that President Trump has signed an executive order reestablishing the National Space Council. The council existed previously from 1989-1993, and a version of it also existed as the National Aeronautics and Space Council from 1958-1973. As such, the council has guided NASA from our earliest days and can help us achieve the many ambitious milestones we are striving for today.

This high-level group advises the president and comprises the leaders of government agencies with a stake in space, including the NASA administrator, the Secretaries of State, Commerce, Defense, and others, and will be chaired by Vice President Mike Pence. It will help ensure that all aspects of the nation's space power — national security, commerce, international relations, exploration, and science, are coordinated and aligned to best serve the American people. A Users' Advisory Group also will be convened so that the interests of industries and other non-federal entities are represented.

The establishment of the council is another demonstration of the Trump Administration's deep interest in our work, and a testament to the importance of space exploration to our economy, our nation, and the planet as a whole.

posted 07-01-2017 05:58 PM               

My favorite photo I took after we visited the White House yesterday. Buzz's feet were killing him. I said he wasn't very incognito in those socks.

posted 09-25-2017 06:44 PM               

Vice President Mike Pence offered his thanks Monday to employees working on NASA's human spaceflight programs during a tour of the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Vice President saw the progress being made on NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), the world's most powerful deep space rocket, that will send astronauts on missions around the Moon and ultimately to Mars. He also visited Marshall's Payload Operations Integration Center, where he talked with NASA astronauts and Expedition 53 crew members Joe Acaba, Randy Bresnik and Mark Vande Hei on board the International Space Station.

posted 09-26-2017 03:50 PM               

Vice President Mike Pence Announces First Meeting of The National Space Council

Today, Vice President Mike Pence announced the first meeting of the National Space Council is scheduled for October 5, 2017 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The meeting, titled "Leading the Next Frontier: An Event with the National Space Council," will include testimonials from expert witnesses who represent the sectors of the space industry: Civil Space, Commercial Space, and National Security Space.

"At President Trump's direction, the kick-off meeting of the National Space Council will bring together all aspects and sectors of the national space enterprise for the first time in a quarter century," said Vice President Pence. "This meeting will provide an opportunity for the Administration to lay out its vision for space exploration. As President Trump said, 'We're a nation of pioneers, and the next great American frontier is space.' "

President Trump signed an executive order reestablishing the National Space Council on June 30, 2017. Currently confirmed council members of the first meeting include: National Space Council Chairman, Vice President Mike Pence; Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson; Secretary of Defense, James Mattis; Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross; Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao; Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke; Office of Management and Budget Director, Mick Mulvaney; National Security Advisor, H.R. McMaster; Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats; Acting NASA Administrator, Robert Lightfoot; Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Michael Kratsios; and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Paul J. Selva.

Additional details about the meeting are forthcoming.

posted 10-04-2017 03:45 PM               

NASA Provides Coverage for First Meeting of the National Space Council

NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of the first meeting of the National Space Council starting at 10 a.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 5.

The meeting, titled "Leading the Next Frontier: An Event with the National Space Council," will be held at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. It will be chaired Vice President Mike Pence and include participation by acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot, as well as a number of Trump Administration cabinet members and senior officials, and aerospace industry leaders.

"We expect to come out of this meeting with a reinvigorated focus for America's space exploration goals that engages all the innovation of NASA and our partners, moves us toward national priorities, and excites people around the world," said Lightfoot.

The council will hear testimonial from expert witnesses who represent the sectors of the space industry: Civil Space, Commercial Space, and National Security Space. President Trump signed an executive order reestablishing the National Space Council on June 30.

posted 10-04-2017 03:51 PM               

The list of attendees at tomorrow's meeting at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA as confirmed by Pence's office today are the following. (Note that Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who previously was expected to attend, instead will be represented by Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan.)

• National Space Council Chairman, Vice President Mike Pence;
  
• Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson;
  
• Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross;
  
• Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao;
  
• Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke;
  
• Office of Management and Budget Director, Mick Mulvaney;
  
• National Security Advisor, H.R. McMaster;
  
• Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats;
  
• Acting NASA Administrator, Robert Lightfoot;
  
• Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan;
  
• Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Michael Kratsios; and
  
• Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Paul J. Selva.

The meeting begins at 10:00 am ET with welcoming remarks from Pence. The Council then will hear from three panels of experts:

10:20-11:05 am ET: We Will Lead Again — Civil Space

• Marillyn Hewson, President and CEO, Lockheed Martin
  
• Dennis Muilenburg, President and CEO, Boeing
  
• David Thompson, President and CEO, Orbital ATK

11:05 – 11:35 am ET: We Will Inspire Again — Commercial Space

• Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO, SpaceX
  
• Bob Smith, CEO, Blue Origin
  
• Fatih Ozmen, CEO, Sierra Nevada Corporation

11:35 – 12:05 pm ET: We Will Hold the High Ground Again — National Security Space

• Michael Griffin, former NASA Administrator
  
• Adm. James Ellis (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Strategic Command
  
• Pamela Melroy, former space shuttle commander and former Deputy Director, Tactical Technology Office, DARPA

12:05 pm ET: Concluding Remarks by Vice President Pence

posted 10-04-2017 10:51 PM               

That means launching American astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit for the first time since 1972. It means establishing a renewed American presence on the moon, a vital strategic goal. And from the foundation of the moon, America will be the first nation to bring mankind to Mars.

...the National Space Council will look beyond the halls of government for insight and expertise. In the coming weeks, President Trump and I will assemble a Users’ Advisory Group partly composed of leaders from America’s burgeoning commercial space industry. Business is leading the way on space technology, and we intend to draw from the bottomless well of innovation to solve the challenges ahead.

Above all, the National Space Council will enable our nation to bring American values to this infinite frontier. It will renew the American spirit itself, as we lift our heads and reach our hands toward the heavens, in pursuit of peace and hope for all mankind.

posted 10-05-2017 10:10 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Bridentsine could attend without issue...

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posted 10-05-2017 12:19 PM               

NASA Statement on National Space Council Policy for Future American Leadership in Space

The following is a statement from acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot about the results from the first meeting of the National Space Council on Thursday:

"It was my pleasure today to attend the first meeting of the new National Space Council. The council includes government leaders from civil and military space, and the group also heard from space industry leaders. The council has historic roots in the earliest days of the Space Age, and it has been established by the president to streamline and coordinate national space policy.

"The council is chaired by Vice President Mike Pence, who continues to demonstrate extraordinary interest in our work. In fact, he recently visited the Marshall Space Flight Center, Johnson Space Center and the Kennedy Space Center. He addressed the workforce at our centers with great passion and introduced our new astronaut candidates class. At today's meeting he made it clear that space is a national priority.

"The vice president also announced a call for renewed U.S. leadership in space – with a recommendation to the president that NASA help lead and shape the way forward. Specifically, NASA has been directed to develop a plan for an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system, returning humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.

"The recommendation to the president would modify the existing National Space Policy to provide focus and direction to some of NASA's current activities and plans, and remove a previous guideline that NASA should undertake a human mission to an asteroid as the next human spaceflight milestone beyond low-Earth orbit. The National Space Council acknowledged the strategic importance of cis-lunar space — the region around the Moon — which will serve as a proving ground for missions to Mars and beyond and advance our stepping stone approach to going farther into the solar system. Based on a number of conversations I've had with the council, we have highlighted a number of initiatives underway in this important area, including a study of an orbital gateway or outpost that could support a sustained cadence of robotic and human missions, as well as ensuing human missions to the lunar and Mars surfaces, and other destinations.

"The direction builds on the hard work we have already been doing on the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft, our efforts to enable our commercial partners and work with our international partners in low-Earth orbit at the International Space Station, and what we have been learning from our current robotic presence at the Moon and Mars. It adds further definition to the exploration plan we have been implementing, and strengthens and provides a context for studies and planning efforts underway across our human spaceflight, science and technology directorates. Among new areas, we will work with industry and the international community on robotic lunar landers that explore the nature of the Moon and its resources, such as water.

"We have already been planning human missions to cis-lunar space beginning with Exploration Mission-2, and with the upcoming budget process, we will look to solidify this work with our new goals in place.

"Working in close coordination across government through the new National Space Council, and with our commercial and international partners, we are going to chart a new future in space with opportunities for all."

posted 12-12-2017 10:17 AM               

NASA Establishes Advisory Group for National Space Council

NASA has established a new advisory group on behalf of the National Space Council that will represent the expertise, interests and perspectives of non-federal aerospace organizations to the National Space Council.

The official charter for the Users' Advisory Group (UAG) was signed by acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot on Dec. 6, and subsequently announced in the Federal Register. It explains, in detail, the role, responsibilities and operation of the advisory group. The UAG will advise and inform the National Space Council on a broad range of aerospace topics, including the impacts of U.S. and international laws and regulations, national security space priorities relating to the civil and commercial space sectors, scientific and human space exploration priorities, and ways to bolster support for U.S. space priorities and leadership in space.

The UAG will consist of between 15 and 30 members selected to serve in the capacity of either a representative or a special government employee (SGE). Representatives will come from non-federal aerospace organizations, such as private industry, and act as advocates for their sector. SGEs will be selected for their expertise in their particular aerospace field to provide objective advice. More information on the member nomination process will be made available later this month.

The charter will be available on NASA's website Wednesday, Dec. 13.

posted 02-19-2018 10:54 AM               

NASA to Host National Space Council Meeting at Kennedy Space Center

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida will host a meeting of the National Space Council, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

NASA Television and the agency's website will provide live coverage of the meeting beginning at 10 a.m. EST.

After his arrival on Tuesday, Vice President Pence will tour Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch facilities and participate in a commercial spaceflight federal reception. On Wednesday, Vice President Pence will lead the National Space Council meeting inside Kennedy's Space Station Processing Facility. "Moon, Mars, and Worlds Beyond: Winning the Next Frontier" will include testimonials from leaders in the civil, commercial, and national security sectors about the importance of the United States' space enterprise. The Vice President will conclude his visit with a tour of Kennedy Space Center.

posted 02-20-2018 10:46 PM               

Vice President Pence Announces National Space Council Users Advisory Group

Vice President Mike Pence, Chairman of the National Space Council, today announced the candidates selected to serve on the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group.

Pending official appointment by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the selected members of the Users Advisory Group will serve to fulfill President Trump's mandate to "foster close coordination, cooperation, and technology and information exchange" across our nation's space enterprise.

The announcement as made on the eve of the second meeting of the National Space Council. "Moon, Mars, and World Beyond: Winning the next Frontier" includes testimonials from leaders in the civil, commercial, and national security sectors about the importance of the United States' space enterprise.

Selection to the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group:

• Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut
  
• Tory Bruno, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance
  
• Wes Bush, CEO of Northrop Grumman
  
• Dean Cheng, Scholar at the Heritage Foundation
  
• Eileen Collins, 4-time Shuttle astronaut, first female shuttle commander
  
• Steve Crisafulli, Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
  
• Mary Lynne Dittmar, President and CEO of The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration
  
• Adm. Jim Ellis, Retired 4-star Admiral, former head of STRATCOM, and member of the Space Foundation Board of Directors
  
• Tim Ellis, CEO of Relativity Space
  
• Newt Gingrich, Author, former Speaker of the House
  
• Marillyn Hewson, CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation
  
• Homer Hickam, Author of the book "Rocket Boys" and former NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center engineer
  
• Governor Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama
  
• Fred Klipsch, Founder and Chairman of Hoosiers for Quality Education
  
• Les Lyles, Retired 4-star Air Force General and member of the NASA Advisory Council
  
• Pam Melroy, 3-time Shuttle astronaut and former Deputy Director of the Tactical Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  
• Dennis Muilenberg, CEO of the Boeing Company
  
• Faith Ozmen, CEO of the Sierra Nevada Corporation
  
• G.P. Bud Peterson, President of the Georgia Institute of Technology
  
• Jack Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut and former Senator
  
• Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX
  
• Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin
  
• Eric Stallmer, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
  
• David Thompson, Founder and CEO of Orbital ATK
  
• Pamela Vaughan,, Board Certified Science Teacher
  
• Mandy Vaughn, President of VOX Launch Company
  
• Stu Witt, Founder of Mojave Air and Spaceport, former Navy pilot, former Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
  
• David Wolf, 4-time Shuttle astronaut and physician
  
• Pete Worden, Former Air Force General and NASA Ames Center Director

posted 02-21-2018 04:14 PM               

...Wednesday's meeting was about the more profitable aspects of space. Among the Trump administration's first efforts will be an overhaul of the bureaucratic processes to license a launch, which is handled by the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Under the proposal, which is expected to be completed by March 2019, a launch and re-entry, regardless of vehicle type, will require only one license from the Department of Transportation.

Currently, such licenses are too restrictive and apply only to a single site or specified period, Vice President Mike Pence said at the meeting held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

posted 05-24-2018 06:09 PM               

Statement from Vice President Mike Pence on the President's Signing of Space Policy Directive-2

President Trump today signed Space Policy Directive-2 implementing four recommendations made by the National Space Council on February 21, 2018 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This directive will encourage American leadership in space commerce by creating more certainty for investors and private industry, while focusing on protecting our national security and public-safety. As President Trump says, "We're a nation of pioneers, and the next great American frontier is space."

As a sign of our administration's commitment to America leading in space again, President Trump will host the next National Space Council meeting at the White House on June 18, 2018.

posted 06-17-2018 10:31 AM               

Both initially were named months ago to serve on the panel, called the Users Advisory Group, but now have been removed from the list as a result of complications in vetting their financial and business ties, according to two of the people knowledgeable about the issue.

posted 06-18-2018 08:49 AM               

As part of the meeting, President Donald Trump will sign Space Policy Directive-3 (SPD-3), focused on the management of traffic and the effects of debris in space, with a focus on providing a safe environment for commercial and civil spacecraft to operate.

posted 03-25-2019 04:39 PM               

NASA Television to Broadcast Fifth Meeting of the National Space Council

NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the fifth meeting of the National Space Council starting at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, March 26.

The meeting will focus on the Trump Administration’s Moon, Mars and beyond plans, and be held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Vice President Mike Pence, chairman of the council, will convene and preside over the meeting, which will include a report out from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. The meeting also will include reports from various other council members, two expert panels on human space exploration, and council discussion, from which Vice President Pence will provide policy recommendations for the president.

The expert panels are:

Panel 1: Ready to Fly

• Les Lyles, retired U.S. Air Force general and former Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force
  
• Eileen Collins, retired U.S. Air Force officer and former NASA astronaut
  
• Sandy Magnus, former NASA astronaut

Panel 2: Ready to Explore

• Dan Dumbacher, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  
• Jack Burns, University of Colorado at Boulder
  
• Wanda Sigur, independent consultant