President Trump Is Making The World (And Space) Safe Again [space excerpt]

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PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TAKEN TO STEPS TO ADVANCE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AND FREEDOM OF ACTION IN SPACE AS CRITICAL TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY 

• During his first year in office, President Trump released his National Security Strategy which emphasized the need for American leadership and freedom of action in space.
  • The National Security Strategy established that U.S. priority actions in space would include advancing space as a priority domain, promote U.S. commercial space capabilities, and maintain the lead in space exploration .
  • Space Policy Online : “There is substantially more than in Obama’s 2015 strategy,” about space.
• In 2018, President Trump unveiled his American First National Space Strategy emphasizing the need for dynamic and cooperative interplay between national security, commercial, and civil space sectors.
• With the signing of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, President Trump created the sixth branch of the armed forces, the U.S. Space Force .
  • The U.S. Space Force’s mission is to organize, train and equip space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space including developing military space professionals, acquiring military space systems, maturing the military doctrine for space power, and organizing space forces to present to our combatant commands.
  • Secretary of Defense Mark Esper: “The establishment of the U.S. Space Force is a historic event and a strategic imperative for our nation.”
  • The Washington Post Opinion: “I was an astronaut. We need a Space Force.”
  • “ The United States must proactively ensure its ability to operate and defend itself in space – which is why Congress needs to act to finalize the U.S. Space Force as a sixth independent branch of our armed forces.”
• On June 30, 2017, President Trump reestablished the National Space Council in an executive order, saying it would send a “clear signal to the world that we are restoring America’s proud legacy of leadership in space.”
  • The National Space Council had not been active since the end of President George H.W. Bush’s Administration in 1993.
  • President Trump : “The National Space Council will be a central hub guiding space policy within the Administration.”
    • Sandy Magnus, Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: The President’s efforts “ strengthen our nation’s space enterprise ,” and we “view this as an opportunity to create an integrated strategic approach U.S. space endeavors.”
• In addition to the creation of the Space Force, President Trump has signed three other White House Space Policy Directives in order to facilitate his national space strategy priorities:
  • In December 2017, President Trump signed the White House Space Policy Directive 1, providing for U.S.-led integrated program with private sector partners for a human return to the moon, followed by missions to Mars and beyond.
    • CSIS expert Todd Harrison: “Space Directive 1 is a clear departure from the Obama Administration.”
      • A “Moon First” approach “ can serve as a testbed for technologies that will help support human life on Mars.”
  • In May 2018, President Trump signed his Space Policy Directive 2 which eased regulations on private industry space endeavors.
    • Space.com : “Trump’s new Space Policy Directive 2 could make life easier for SpaceX and others.”
    • Alan Stern, Chairman of the board of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation: “Now we can foresee a more streamlined legal and administrative regime that will allow us to continue to help transform how Americans access and use space.”
    • Tom Stroup, President of the Satellite Industry Association : “SIA is delighted with the president’s recognition of the importance of the commercial space business and we applaud his policy directive that encourages the continued growth and leadership of America’s commercial satellite industry.”
  • In June 2018, President Trump signed Space Policy Directive 3 which addresses issues regarding the monitoring of objects in orbit , providing information to spacecraft operators to avoid collisions and other measures to limit the growth of orbital debris.
    • CSIS expert Todd Harrison: “With this directive, the president and National Space Council are making progress toward establishing standards and norms of behavior as more operators enter the space domain to help mitigate the creation of harmful space debris.”
    • SpaceQ : “U.S. aims to take lead in space traffic management with Space Policy Directive 3.”