Today, Vice President Mike Pence announced the first meeting of the National Space Council is scheduled for October 5, 2017 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The meeting, titled “Leading the Next Frontier: An Event with the National Space Council,” will include testimonials from expert witnesses who represent the sectors of the space industry: Civil Space, Commercial Space, and National Security Space.
“At President Trump’s direction, the kick-off meeting of the National Space Council will bring together all aspects and sectors of the national space enterprise for the first time in a quarter century,” said Vice President Pence. “This meeting will provide an opportunity for the Administration to lay out its vision for space exploration. As President Trump said, ‘We’re a nation of pioneers, and the next great American frontier is space.’ ”
President Trump signed an executive order reestablishing the National Space Council on June 30, 2017. Currently confirmed council members of the first meeting include: National Space Council Chairman, Vice President Mike Pence; Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson; Secretary of Defense, James Mattis; Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross; Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao; Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke; Office of Management and Budget Director, Mick Mulvaney; National Security Advisor, H.R. McMaster; Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats; Acting NASA Administrator, Robert Lightfoot; Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States, Michael Kratsios; and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Paul J. Selva.
Additional details about the meeting are forthcoming.
