The National Space Council
The National Space Council Executive Order reestablishes and formally structures the President’s National Space Council to shape and coordinate U.S. space policy and strategy. Chaired by the Vice President, the Council includes a broad mix of senior federal officials (from State, Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Transportation, Energy, Education, Homeland Security, the White House, and intelligence) as well as the NASA Administrator and other senior officials the Chair designates. Its core purpose is to advise the President, coordinate interagency space activities across civil, commercial, and national security domains, and help align policy, budgets, and programs with the Administration’s space priorities. The order also creates a staff led by a civilian Executive Secretary, requires the Council to meet at least annually, and establishes a formal process for developing and implementing national space policy. It includes a U.S. government–industry advisory component (the Users’ Advisory Group) to gather non-Federal industry and stakeholder input. Finally, it supersedes earlier Executive Orders reviving the National Space Council and sets out administrative provisions, authority for budget and legal support, and general provisions about scope and limitations.
Key Points
- 1Orchestrated leadership and membership: The Vice President serves as Chair, with a wide-ranging roster of cabinet-level Secretaries, senior White House policy positions, the Director of OMB, the DNI, OSTP, the NSA, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair, the NASA Administrator, and other senior officials as the Chair designates.
- 2Core mission of the Council: Advise and assist the President on national space policy and strategy; review, develop, and recommend space policy; coordinate implementation; synchronize civil, commercial, and national security space activities; resolve interagency differences; enable interagency cooperation and information exchange.
- 3Chair’s authority and duties: The Chair sets procedures and agendas, can propose Executive Secretary candidates, may invite leaders from other agencies to meetings, and can develop budget recommendations for the President with respect to space policy.
- 4Policy planning and national security coordination: Establish a formal policy-planning process; require agency activities to align, to the extent permitted by law, with the President’s space policy and strategy; coordinate with the National Security Council for national-security space matters.
- 5Users’ Advisory Group: A non-Federal, industry-facing group that provides advice and recommendations on civil, commercial, and national security space policy and related laws, treaties, and programs; reports directly to the Council and operates with travel support as allowed by law.