Biden administration issues new framework for space policy, with a

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris’ office released a new framework for US space policy, detailing how the Biden administration plans to approach commercial, civil, and military space activity moving forward. Called the United States Space Priorities Framework, the document keeps many of the same space priorities from the previous administration but adds a new emphasis on using space to help combat climate change and investing in STEM education.

The new framework comes ahead of today’s National Space Council meeting, the first one to be held under the Biden administration. Harris, who chairs the National Space Council, will convene the policy advisory group at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, at 1:30PM ET today.

The National Space Council is a relic of the George H. W. Bush administration, created by executive order in 1989 with the Vice President at the helm. Made up of executive cabinet members, the NASA administrator, and leaders in the space industry, the council’s goal is to advise on how to set the space agenda and come up with new solutions for addressing current space issues.

The original Space Council was dissolved in 1993, but it was resurrected under the Trump administration and helmed by then-Vice President Mike Pence. During Trump’s presidency, the National Space Council met a total of eight times during live-streamed events in which members shared new concerns and problems that needed to be addressed regarding space. Topics of discussion included: refining launch and licensing regulations for space companies launching rockets and satellites; ways to maintain US leadership and competitiveness in space; strengthening cybersecurity in space; and leveraging lunar resources. These often resulted in a number of Space Policy Directives that Trump would sign throughout his tenure. NASA’s former administrator, Jim Bridenstine, would also give updates on many of NASA’s biggest spaceflight missions, such as the space agency’s Artemis program — aimed at sending the first woman and first person of color to the surface of the Moon.

When it comes to space, the Biden administration is carrying forward many of the priorities set by the Trump administration. Notably, NASA’s ambitious Artemis program, which was solidified under Trump, is still a major focus under Biden. And plenty of the topics discussed under Pence’s Space Council are included in the new framework released by Harris. A few of the key points include maintaining US leadership in space by sending humans back to the Moon and exploring the Solar System with robotic spacecraft, fostering a competitive, regulatory environment for space companies, and defending against security threats in space while strengthening our space assets.

In the biggest break from the previous…