As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to accept the Democratic nomination this week in Chicago, here’s our look at what space policy priorities might dominate a potential Harris administration.
Harris’ past
Though the vice president did not do much public work on space before joining President Joe Biden’s ticket, she has overseen the debate of two major space policy issues as chair of the National Space Council:
- The release of the administration’s framework to ensure the government is ready to oversee novel space missions not covered by existing regulations.
- The U.S. moratorium on destructive ASAT testing, which has garnered support from more than two dozen other nations.
Harris’ work on the ASAT testing moratorium signals two broader priorities for her in orbit, according to a former administration official—support for space sustainability and a commitment to the rule of law.
“The broader theme…is the need for greater certainty and clarity in domestic and international law, norms, and standards about proper conduct in outer space,” the official told Payload.
Primary docs
The Democratic party platform, which is set to be approved at the convention, mentions space only in passing: “We’ll continue supporting NASA and America’s presence on the International Space Station, and working to send Americans back to the moon and to Mars.”
Harris’ future
Just as there was a lot of continuity between the Trump and Biden administrations in space, there’s not expected to be major shifts if Harris wins the White House since so many space priorities are bipartisan.
Still, some areas where Harris would likely focus, according to the former administration official, include:
- Responsible growth of the space industry, and “not let space be the sole purview of a bunch of billionaires.”
- Engagement with allies in orbit, something that Harris prioritized as VP
- A “fairly hawkish” national security space posture that protects US interests, the official said.
Jack Kiraly, director of government relations at the Planetary Society, also predicted that the National Space Council will continue under any administration. Since this panel is typically led by the vice president, this brings us to…
In too Veep
We don’t know much about how a Vice President Tim Walz would run the space council, or whether he has any personal interest in space. During his time in Congress, he voted against the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, but it’s not clear why.
As governor of Minnesota, his only social media post on space celebrated the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. “It is major landmark events like this that remind us that anything is possible if we work together for the common good,” he wrote.
This story originally appeared on Payload and is republished here with permission.
Connectez-vous pour ajouter un commentaire
Autres messages de ce groupe
In May of 1995, the video game industry hosted its first major trade show. Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was designed to shine a spotlight on games, and every major player wanted to stand in
Robinhood cofounder and CEO Vlad Tenev channeled Hollywood glamour last month in Cannes at an extravagantly produced event unveiling of the trading platform’s newest products, including a tokenize
In the mid-1990s, Hollywood began trying to envision the internet (sometimes called the “information superhighway”) and its implications for life and culture. Some of its attempts have aged better
Ever since AI chatbots arrived, it feels as if the media has been on the losing end o
Aside from the obvious, one of the best parts of the work-from-home revolution is being able to outfit your workspace as you see fit.
And if you spend your days squinting at a tiny lapto
Child psychologists tell us that around the age of five or six, children begin to seriously contemplate the world around them. It’s a glorious moment every parent recognizes—when young minds start
During January’s unprecedented wildfires in Los Angeles, Watch Duty—a digital platform providing real-time fire data—became the go-to app for tracking the unfolding disaster and is credit
