Today, President Trump Is Attending A Historic Rocket Launch At The Kennedy Space Center Where He Will Underscore His Commitment To American Leadership In Space
The Facts:
TODAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL ATTEND A HISTORIC LAUNCH AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER AS AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS WILL LAUNCH INTO SPACE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY A DECADE
- This Wednesday, President Trump will be at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch U.S. astronauts launch into space aboard an American rocket from American soil for the first time in a decade .
- Launch America , officially known as the SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission, is planned to occur Wednesday afternoon, weather permitted.
- The NASA/SpaceX commercial crew flight will carry NASA's newest test pilots on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- This will be the " first-ever crewed commercial rocket launch ."
- NASA intends for the launch to kick off a new era of public-private exploration that will allow the United States to "accomplish great things in the final frontier."
- John Logsdon, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington says the launch, "will be a reminder of the U.S. aspiration to lead the development of the space frontier ."
- Forbes : "It's going to be a massive, unmissable event."
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS CONTINUALLY EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR 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.
- President Trump's Space Strategy emphasizes peace through strength in the space domain in order to protect America's vital interest in space and advance America's security, economic prosperity, and scientific knowledge.
WITH THE SIGNING OF THE 2020 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT, PRESIDENT TRUMP ESTABLISHED THE UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE AS THE SIXTH BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES IN A MOVE CALLED CRITICAL TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY
- 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."
- SpaceNews : "Why the United States needs a Space Force"
- "The President got it right. We need a Space Force ."
- "Space is too vital for the nation to not have a military service devoted to the idea that its singular job is to keep the U.S. in the lead."
- Former Commander of the International Space Station, Col. Terry Virts: Protecting satellites that are critical to the civilian economy is major reason why having a Space Force is " very important today."
- CSIS expert Todd Harrison: " only a separate department for space ," can address all the challenges the U.S. faces in the national security space.
- "I am convinced that the time for a separate military department for space is upon us, and we should not wait for another Pearl Harbor to prove it."
- 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."
- Former Rep. Robert Walker: " Space Force is a necessity - we are at war every day in Space."
- "Today, the potential of a space attack is as dangerous to us as a nation as the threat of a nuclear attack was in the 20th century. And we have no part of our military establishment represented on the Joint Chiefs of Staff that focuses exclusively on this very real threat."
- CBS News : "NASA chief explains the need for a 'space force.'"
- The Washington Post Magazine : "Creating a Space Force is arguably an excellent idea, one for which Trump may deservedly go down in history."
- "Indeed, the case for the Space Force is persuasive enough that the real debate isn't about whether something like it should happen, but rather about what form it should take."
PRESIDENT TRUMP REESTABLISHED THE NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL, LAST ACTIVE IN 1993, TO BE A CENTRAL HUB GUIDING SPACE POLICY WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION
- 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 to U.S. space endeavors."
- Tony Bruno, President and Chief Executive of United Launch Alliance: "I was honored to be there. This is a very exciting announcement ."
- Mary Lynne Dittmar, President and Chief Executive of the Coalition for Space Exploration: "The re-institution of the National Space Council is another important step in solidifying our nation's continued commitment to NASA's deep space exploration."
- Mark Albrecht, Executive Secretary for the National Space Council under George H.W. Bush, applauded the decision to revive it saying "the agenda for a White House-coordinating-body on space policy will be substantial and urgent."
- The Commercial Spaceflight Federation said it was " encouraged " by the executive order.
IN ADDITION TO THE CREATION OF THE SPACE FORCE, THE PRESIDENT 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."
- Space News Op-Ed : "On the verge of a Space Renaissance"
- Space News Op-Ed : "Supporting America's plan to lead on the moon"
- CSIS expert Todd Harrison: "Space Directive 1 is a clear departure from the Obama Administration."
- 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."
WHILE PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS MADE AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN SPACE A PRIORITY, JOE BIDEN, IN TYPICAL FASHION, HAS LED FROM BEHIND ON SPACE AND WANTED TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES' GREATEST SPACE ADVERSARY, CHINA
- China is seen as the United States' greatest space adversary and has been called a " looming threat ," and a " space superpower ."
- Additionally, China has been, for an extended period , one of the world's greatest trade cheaters and has been responsible for continued IP theft globally and in the U.S.
- Despite these obvious concerns, as a Presidential Candidate in 2008, Joe Biden told Nature Magazine he wanted to " make China a full partner in space exploration ," and that he didn't want China to be frustrated in having to catch up to the U.S. space program.
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