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Politico
5 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Missing in Action: The National Space Council
WELCOME TO POLITICO PRO SPACE. We've made it through another surprisingly busy summer week. But, hey, one lucky buyer snagged the biggest Mars meteorite to ever land on Earth. In more serious news, the Senate and House united in opposing major NASA cuts. Now it's up to the White House to decide whether it will listen. And rumors are flying around the space industry about whether anyone actually wants to lead the National Space Council. Do you want to helm it? Email me at sskove@ with tips, pitches and feedback, and find me on X at @samuelskove. And remember, we're offering this newsletter for free over the next few weeks. After that, only POLITICO Pro subscribers will receive it. Read all about it here. The Spotlight No one wants to run the National Space Council, if you follow the rumors rocketing through space circles that at least three people have declined the job. The reality is … more earthly. I broke the news in early May that the White House would restaff the council, which coordinates space policy across the federal government. The group is viewed as influential, in part because by statute the vice president chairs it. Two months after the decision, the administration still hasn't made any staffing announcements. The White House did not respond to my request for comment on what progress it has made in standing up the council, which consists of an executive secretary and several officials. Rumor mill: Industry circles have filled the void with all manner of speculation. Four industry officials, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, said they had heard that former Space Force Gen. Jay Raymond, ex-National Space Council executive secretary Scott Pace, and former Office of Space Commerce head Kevin O'Connell all declined the position. So I asked them. The gossip appears to have been just that. Raymond said he had not been offered the job and had no plans to return to government service. O'Connell said he had not been approached. Pace said he had no plans to go back. Status check: It's quite possible the White House simply hasn't started the process of choosing an executive secretary. The National Space Council, and space in general, is usually pretty low on the agenda of new administrations. Chirag Parikh, the executive secretary for the Biden administration's National Space Council, didn't assume the role until eight months after former President Joe Biden took office. The attention of the executive branch is also focused on other pressing issues, from Ukraine to the recent passage of President Donald Trump's reconciliation bill. There's also the matter of choosing a full-time NASA administrator. Give us a sign: The swirl of rumors may have more to do with the space industry's eagerness to believe the White House cares about space. Many in the space sector are supportive of reviving the National Space Council. O'Connell, the former Office of Space Commerce head, said he hoped it would get going soon so officials could tackle issues such as the Golden Dome missile defense shield and advancing the space economy. The House appropriations subcommittee that covers civil space voted this week for almost $2 million in funds for a council. But even if the search for staff is in full swing, it's a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Any candidate must have experience with space issues, be ready to defend the administration's controversial space policy, be willing to forgo a lucrative private sector job, and have no ties to Trump's adversaries. That list includes Democrats, Elon Musk, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who headed the Space Council under the first Trump administration. For now, space enthusiasts may just have to cross their fingers and wait. Galactic Government ALL TOGETHER NOW: Both the House and Senate issued a clear 'no thanks' to steep White House cuts to NASA, presaging a political battle if the White House tries to bully its version through. The administration has proposed a nearly 25 percent cut to the agency. But the Senate appropriations subcommittee voted along partisan lines on Thursday to fund NASA at $24.9 billion, or the same as in 2025. The split was due in part to a disagreement over a bill provision unrelated to NASA. Chair Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) told me last week that the bill would be a 'normal' appropriation. Ranking member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said it would fund NASA science programs at $7.3 billion, the same as in 2025 and a rejection of the White House's proposed $3.4 billion cut. The House subcommittee that oversees NASA also voted this week for a budget on par with previous years at $24.8 billion. The House budget differs from 2025 in that it would boost space exploration by $2 billion and cut science funding by $1 billion. Democrats voiced opposition to the cuts to science programs. What next: What happens now is anyone's guess. The White House could seek to push the cuts through anyway. But that would pick a political fight with the administration's Republican allies, most notably NASA supporter Ted Cruz(R-Texas) — a potentially bruising battle for a few billion dollars. Military EYE IN THE SKY: Commercial satellite companies, take heart. The House Armed Services Committee this week voted to increase funding for a Space Force program that uses the businesses' spy photos. The Space Force effort, dubbed the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking Program, supplies commercial imagery to deployed forces and was used to help soldiers evacuate from Niger in 2024. The House National Defense Authorization Act would raise its funding by $10 million, and turn the pilot program into a more permanent $50 million one. Why it matters: Commercial satellite imagery companies, in a rare public outcry, protested proposed White House cuts to National Reconnaissance Office contracts for the companies' imagery. This is particularly key to Ukraine, which relies on U.S. commercial satellite pictures for its battle plans. But even if the companies lose clients as part of the White House cuts, they could gain some funding through the Space Force program. The Reading Room Musk's SpaceX Plans Share Sale That Would Value Company at About $400 Billion: Bloomberg. Lawmakers Want DoD Briefings on Nuke Propulsion, VLEO, Commercial PNT: Payload Space Force sets guidelines prioritizing military missions as launch demand surges: SpaceNews The ISS is nearing retirement, so why is NASA still gung-ho about Starliner? Ars Technica Event Horizon MONDAY: NASA will hold a news conference on the joint U.S.-Indian Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. TUESDAY The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics's ASCEND 2025 conference starts in Las Vegas. The Space Foundation holds the 'Innovate Space: Global Economic Summit.' The Mitchell Institute hosts a webinar with Space Force Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton. Making Moves Andrew Lock has joined the public policy team at Project Kuiper, Amazon's constellation of low-earth orbit satellites. He most recently was principal at Monument Advocacy, and was a staffer in both the House and Senate. Photo of the Week
E&E News
04-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Trump budget would trigger ‘extinction-level event' for NASA
The Trump administration wants to take NASA's budget back to a time before the 1969 moon landing. The proposed White House budget released late Friday would slash about a quarter of the agency's spending and reduce NASA's top-line budget to one of its lowest levels in 60 years when adjusted for inflation. Much of the $6 billion cut from the current $25 billion annual budget would be achieved by decimating research — in particular NASA's work on climate change. Advertisement The White House proposal also would target entire satellite programs for elimination and dramatically curtail U.S. cooperation with foreign science agencies. The number of NASA employees would be cut by about a third, from more than 18,000 down to fewer than 12,000. NASA's science division would bear the brunt of the blow. Its budget would be cut from $7.3 billion to $3.9 billion, with major cuts to programs that monitor and process the ways human-caused global warming is transforming America and the world. The proposal is an 'extinction-level event' for one of the world's leading science agencies, said Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society, which advocates for research and exploration in space. 'It's unprecedented, it's a fundamentally different science program than what we've had for the last few decades, and one that I frankly think is a narrower and less ambitious representation of our national goals,' he said, 'And frankly, it abandons a lot of our joint efforts with our key allies in the process.' Dreier added that cutting climate-related monitoring of the planet will have immediate and negative effects on a broad range of industries, especially agriculture. The cuts will hit communities across the country too, as NASA's science division funds work in every state as well as roughly 80 percent of the nation's congressional districts, according to the Planetary Society. Some parts of the proposal would save a relatively small amount of money at the cost of impairing U.S. efforts to understand the way global warming is changing the planet, critics say. The White House proposal would cut off invaluable streams of data that have been collected during Democratic and Republican administrations. The satellite division would be hard hit too, and those cuts appear aimed at any instrument that tracks human-caused climate change — even though they provide other useful data as well. For instance, the Surface Geology and Biology mission — slated for elimination — keeps tabs on methane and carbon pollution but also uses sophisticated instruments to hunt for critical minerals. Also on the chopping block: the next generation of the LandSat satellite program. LandSat tracks the ways global warming is altering Earth, but it also provides data on water levels and distribution. Trump has not staffed the National Space Council, which provides guidance to the White House and federal agencies as well as the U.S. Space Force — though he may do so soon. It's not clear if the budget is largely the product of the White House Office of Management and Budget or if it was crafted with input from NASA. White House and NASA officials did not respond to a request for comment. Most years, White House budget plans are treated as either a rough draft or a messaging document — as the presidential proposals are often dramatically altered by congressional appropriators. But this year could be different, as congressional Republicans have shown little willingness to break with the White House at the start of President Donald Trump's second term. Even if Republicans do attempt to undo some part of the White House plan for NASA, OMB Director Russ Vought has said his office may simply ignore congressional action and impound funds it does want to spend, which likely would draw a legal challenge. The proposed NASA cuts come at turbulent time for the space agency. The Trump administration recently withdrew its first pick for NASA administrator. That's because White House officials were angry that Jared Isaacman — an ally of Elon Musk — had donated to some Democrats including Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former astronaut, according to reporting from The New York Times. Trump criticized Isaacman for his 'prior associations.' On Tuesday, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said a new nominee for NASA chief would be named soon. 'The president wants to ensure that all of his nominees are aligned fully with the America first mission of this administration,' she said. Trump has long dismissed climate science, but during his first term NASA maintained a relatively robust research portfolio into the ways humanity is altering the planet by burning fossil fuels. But his latest budget proposal takes a sledgehammer to climate research, observers say. It's also unprecedented to cut fully functioning satellites in orbit that are producing invaluable data, said Richard Eckman, who retired as a program manager for NASA's Earth Science Division in January after almost 40 years at the agency. The probes typically cost billions of dollars to build and launch and comparatively little to maintain once they're in space. Eckman worked on Sage, one of the instruments slated for elimination, which is bolted to the International Space Station and measures ozone as required under the Clean Air Act of 1990. He said it's clear the White House budget aims to blind the country to the ways climate change is transforming the world. But he said the satellites and instruments slated for elimination produce all kinds of other data too, such as tracking the movement of different climatic zones that affect plant growth and are relied upon by the agriculture industry. The missions being canceled typically take decades to go from an idea to an instrument launched into space, he said. 'Whether you believe in climate change or human-induced impacts on climate or not, these are atmospheric gasses that have an impact on the composition of the earth,' he said. 'It's very depressing to me to think that we're writing off the future of NASA Earth Observing missions from space.'
Epoch Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Trump Administration to Revive National Space Council
The Trump administration is once again reviving the National Space Council as it pushes forward with its government and private sector-focused ambitions in low Earth orbit, on and around the moon, and on Mars. Founded by the first Bush administration in 1989, the National Space Council is an advisory body designed to assist the president on space policy and strategy. It was revamped by President Donald Trump via executive order during his first administration in 2017. 'The Council was never formally disestablished, but it effectively ceased operation in 1993,' the order said. 'This order revives the Council and provides additional details regarding its duties and responsibilities.' According to the order, the council is chaired by the vice president. It includes, but is not limited to, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the secretaries of state, defense, commerce, and transportation, the director of national intelligence, and the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Trump's decision to revitalize the council in his second administration was confirmed by a White House official on May 9. The Biden administration kept the council staffed, but it was seen as less influential under Vice President Kamala Harris. Related Stories 4/9/2025 4/30/2025 This news comes just a few weeks after the Senate Science Committee approved Jared Isaacman's nomination for NASA administrator advancement to the Senate floor for a final vote, and the release of NASA's proposed 2026 fiscal year budget, which includes more than $7 billion for lunar exploration and adds another $1 billion for new investments for Mars-focused programs. 'This proposal includes investments to simultaneously pursue exploration of the Moon and Mars while still prioritizing critical science and technology research,' said acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro. 'I appreciate the President's continued support for NASA 's mission and look forward to working closely with the administration and Congress to ensure we continue making progress toward achieving the impossible.' NASA has a mandate from Congress to establish a permanent human presence on or around the moon—be it a lunar base or the planned Gateway space station destined for lunar orbit—set by the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, and Isaacman expressed his commitment to achieve this before communist China, which looks to make its own landing by 2030. The Artemis II mission, which is set to send the first humans around the moon since December 1972, is slated to launch in 2026. At the same time, a private space economy in low Earth orbit continues to grow with companies such as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin already contracted to launch satellites and people into space, and other companies such as Vast and Axiom working to put the first private space stations into orbit. SpaceX continues to lead the way in terms of commercial capabilities, serving as the sole launch provider of astronauts to the International Space Station. The council's restaffing comes as some politicians are concerned about conflicts of interest due to its founder, Elon Musk's, close connection with the president.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump administration to revive National Space Council
The White House is reviving the National Space Council, a historically influential policy body that could help guide the administration's ambitious space goals, while acting as a counterbalance to Elon Musk. The revival of the council ends speculation that President Donald Trump would not bring back the office following lobbying from Musk's SpaceX company. The council, which Trump also revived in 2017 after it had been dormant for 24 years, is chaired according to law by the vice president. A White House official, who was granted anonymity to discuss plans that had not been announced, confirmed that the White House was staffing the council. The council is normally staffed by an executive secretary and a small number of officials. The council serves as an executive branch body for developing space policy and keeping agencies with space portfolios on task, from the Space Force to the Department of Commerce's space offices. The council will likely take on the Trump administration's already lengthy space ambitions, including building a space-based missile shield called Golden Dome, beating China to a moon landing before 2030, landing astronauts on Mars, and supporting commercial space companies. That includes potentially launching new rockets next year to trial systems for landing astronauts on Mars. The council could dilute the influence of Musk, founder of SpaceX and confidante to Trump, who plans to step away as top adviser to the president. Reuters in January reported that SpaceX opposed the return of the National Space Council, and Trump was 'likely' to end it. The council would also provide an avenue for industry to inform White House space policy through the body's Users' Advisory Group. Vice President JD Vance has made few public pronouncements on space, making it unclear how he might lead the council. However, as a senator he served on the committee that covers space, and was a co-sponsor on a space bill. His former position as a senator for Ohio put him in contact with major NASA research facilities in Cleveland. The office was founded in 1989, but was unstaffed from 1993 to 2017, when Trump brought it back in his first term in a ceremony that included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon. That council, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence with Scott Pace as its executive secretary, was viewed as influential in helping establish the Space Force, NASA's planned return to the moon under the Artemis program, and ushering in regulatory reform in support of commercial space companies. Then-President Joe Biden continued to staff the space council, but the body was viewed as less influential by some due to diminished public engagement from Vice President Kamala Harris.
Politico
09-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Trump administration to revive National Space Council
The White House is reviving the National Space Council, a historically influential policy body that could help guide the administration's ambitious space goals, while acting as a counterbalance to Elon Musk. The revival of the council ends speculation that President Donald Trump would not bring back the office following lobbying from Musk's SpaceX company. The council, which Trump also revived in 2017 after it had been dormant for 24 years, is chaired according to law by the vice president. A White House official, who was granted anonymity to discuss plans that had not been announced, confirmed that the White House was staffing the council. The council is normally staffed by an executive secretary and a small number of officials. The council serves as an executive branch body for developing space policy and keeping agencies with space portfolios on task, from the Space Force to the Department of Commerce's space offices. The council will likely take on the Trump administration's already lengthy space ambitions, including building a space-based missile shield called Golden Dome, beating China to a moon landing before 2030, landing astronauts on Mars, and supporting commercial space companies. That includes potentially launching new rockets next year to trial systems for landing astronauts on Mars. The council could dilute the influence of Musk, founder of SpaceX and confidante to Trump, who plans to step away as top adviser to the president. Reuters in January reported that SpaceX opposed the return of the National Space Council, and Trump was 'likely' to end it. The council would also provide an avenue for industry to inform White House space policy through the body's Users' Advisory Group. Vice President JD Vance has made few public pronouncements on space, making it unclear how he might lead the council. However, as a senator he served on the committee that covers space, and was a co-sponsor on a space bill. His former position as a senator for Ohio put him in contact with major NASA research facilities in Cleveland. The office was founded in 1989, but was unstaffed from 1993 to 2017, when Trump brought it back in his first term in a ceremony that included astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon. That council, chaired by Vice President Mike Pence with Scott Pace as its executive secretary, was viewed as influential in helping establish the Space Force, NASA's planned return to the moon under the Artemis program, and ushering in regulatory reform in support of commercial space companies. Then-President Joe Biden continued to staff the space council, but the body was viewed as less influential by some due to diminished public engagement from Vice President Kamala Harris.
