Harris condemns Russian test of anti-satellite weapon at Biden administration’s first Space Council meeting

The space has proven to be one of the few areas where the Biden administration has maintained most of the policies of the previous administration — from supporting space force To NASA’s New Artemis Program, which aims to bring American astronauts back to the Moon by the middle of this decade.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Harris commended Artemis Agreement And said the US government should work to increase the number of signatories. Thirteen nations have signed on, and Harris says France and Mexico have indicated they will bring that number to 15. The two biggest adversaries of the United States – China and Russia – have not signed the agreements.

The Artemis Agreement is an international agreement designed to provide a framework for the peaceful exploration of the Moon and Mars. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman described the agreement as “this generation’s commitment to the Outer Space Treaty,” a landmark 1967 space law that is still in effect today.

While the first meeting of the National Space Council led by Harris offered a window into the administration’s space policies and priorities, it provided only a framework for guiding the council’s efforts.

In addition to promoting the rapid development of rules and norms to govern space, the United States Space Priority Framework focuses on using space to combat climate change and enhance STEM education.

Those last two priorities are far more prominent for the Biden administration than the last one, and they were reflected in an executive order signed Wednesday by President Joe Biden. The order added five members to the National Space Council: the Secretaries of Education, Labour, Agriculture and the Interior, as well as the National Climate Adviser.

“I believe we also have a responsibility to look at our home planet,” Harris said. “While space exploration defined the 20th century, space opportunity should guide our work in the 21st century.”