ICYMI: Vice President Kamala Harris Leads Inaugural National Space Council Meeting of the Biden-Harris Administration

Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris convened the Biden-Harris Administration's inaugural National Space Council meeting and laid out the Administration's whole-of-government approach to ensure that space activities create opportunities that benefit the American people and the world. At the meeting, the Vice President announced the release of the United States Space Priorities Framework, which will guide the Council's efforts to develop and implement national space policy and strategy going forward. The Council discussed promoting peaceful exploration of space and reducing the risk of miscalculation or conflict in space, addressing the climate crisis, and enhancing STEM education.

In conjunction with the meeting, President Joe Biden signed a new Executive Order that addresses the membership, duties, and responsibilities of the Council. The Order added five new members to the Council: the Secretaries of Education, Labor, Agriculture, and the Interior, as well as the National Climate Advisor. These new members demonstrate the Administration's emphasis on ensuring the benefits of American space activities are applied broadly throughout society and employed to solve the toughest challenges, including addressing the climate crisis and building a vibrant workforce for the future.

See below for coverage of yesterday's meeting:

Wired: The US National Space Council Is Back and Focused on Security
[Ramin Skibba, 12/1/21]

On Wednesday morning, US Vice President Kamala Harris led the Biden administration's inaugural National Space Council meeting, at which she and other political leaders outlined their priorities for the future of civil, commercial, and military space activities. She's the first woman and first person of color to run such a meeting, which has traditionally been led by the vice president. While Harris has considerable foreign policy experience, this is her first major foray into space politics.

"Without clear norms for the responsible use of space, we stand the real risk of threats to our national and global security," Harris said. She referred to Russia's anti-satellite missile test two weeks ago as an "irresponsible act;" it generated some 1,500 pieces of orbital debris, delaying astronauts aboard the International Space Station from doing a planned spacewalk on Tuesday.

CNBC: White House unveils 'Space Priorities Framework' as VP Kamala Harris leads first space council meeting
[Michael Sheetz, 12/1/21]

With Harris leading Wednesday's meeting, the White House released a document called the "United States Space Priorities Framework," which gives an overview of how the Biden administration plans "to develop and implement national space policy and strategy going forward." The framework emphasizes that the U.S. seeks to promote and protect the "data, products, and services from space" that "enable American businesses and create American jobs in sectors as varied as manufacturing, transportation, logistics, agriculture, finance, and communications."

Additionally, the framework says the U.S. wants to openly distribute "Earth observation data" to "support both domestic and international efforts to address the climate crisis." Similarly, the White House document says it is transferring "space situational awareness information" services "to an open data platform" that will be hosted by a U.S. agency to improve spaceflight safety.

Fox News: Kamala Harris says new space policy will focus on climate change
[Jessica Chasmar, 12/1/21]

Vice President Kamala Harris announced during her first National Space Council meeting Wednesday that the Biden administration's new space policy will make the fight against climate change a top priority.

Harris, who chairs the council, stressed the importance of improving the gathering and dissemination of satellite technology that is used to track and predict extreme weather on Earth.

E&E News: Biden adds climate objective to National Space Council
[Timothy Cama, 12/1/21]

Under Harris' new framework, climate is named as a priority specifically for the use of satellites.

"The United States will advance the development and use of space-based Earth observation capabilities that support action on climate change," the framework reads.

"The United States, through collaboration between the public, private, and philanthropic sectors, will accelerate the development and use of Earth observation to support climate change mitigation and adaptation," it says. "Open dissemination of Earth observation data will support both domestic and international efforts to address the climate crisis."

Politico: Harris calls for new international rules for space after Russia blows up satellite
[Bryan Bender, 12/1/21]

Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday said Russia's "irresponsible act" last month of blowing up one of its satellites demands a more robust global effort to adopt rules of behavior in orbit to protect national security and defend growing commerce. […]

"We must demand responsibility from all space-faring nations," she added. "We must expand rules and norms on safety and security, on transparency and cooperation, to include military, commercial and civil space activity."

Axios: Harris says Russia's anti-satellite test was "irresponsible"
[Jacob Knutson, 12/1/21]

Harris stressed that the test and its aftermath showed why new international behavioral norms and regulations are needed to help maintain space as a relatively safe environment. […]

"Over the past weeks and months, I've spoken with heads of state and governments about our priorities in space. In these conversations, the opportunity for space as been clear, as has the risk," Harris said during an opening speech for the meeting. "Without clear norms for the responsible use of space, we stand the real risk of threats to our national and global security."

CNN: Harris condemns Russian test of anti-satellite weapon at Biden administration's first space council meeting
[Kristin Fisher, 12/1/21]

Leaders from all corners of the US government condemned Russia's recent test of an anti-satellite weapon on Wednesday at the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council under the Biden administration, calling for accelerating the development of rules and norms in space.

"Without clear norms for the responsible use of space, we face real threats to our national and global security," said Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as the head of the National Space Council. "By blasting debris across space, this irresponsible act endangered the satellites of other nations as well as the astronauts on the International Space Station."

Reuters: U.S. seeks norms for outer space after 'irresponsible' Russia test
[Trevor Hunnicutt. 12/1/21]

Harris convened the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council and asked members of the government body to promote responsible civil, commercial and national security-related behavior in space, where there are growing commercial interests and concerns about Chinese and Russian competition.

"Without clear norms for the responsible use of space we stand the real risk of threats to our national and global security," Harris said.