VP Mike Pence Chairs Space Summit at Kennedy Space Center Fostering Space Commerce

Vice President Mike Pence addresses a meeting of the National Space Council in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 21, 2018. Chaired by the Vice President, the council heard testimony from representatives from civil space, commercial space and national security space industry representatives, backdropped by the NASA Orion, Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon crew vehicles.  Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com/kenkremer.com

Ken Kremer  --   SpaceUpClose.com  --   21 Feb 2018

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL - Vice President Mike Pence came to the Florida Space Coast this week and hosted a high powered meeting of the National Space Council at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, on Wednesday Feb. 21, 2018. The Space Summit focused on fostering the nation’s commercial space activities as well as reaffirming President Trump’s support for NASA’s plan to return American astronauts to the Moon in the 2020s.

The National Space Council meeting was held in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC and attended by high ranking representatives from civil space, commercial space and national security space from the US government as well as industry representatives including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Joseph Dunford, the US National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and NASA’s acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot, among others. 

“President Trump declared that our nation stands ‘at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space’ – and after the first year of our administration, the record is clear: under President Trump, America is leading in space once again,” - Vice President Mike Pence declared in his opening speech to the National Space Council at KSC.

Vice President Mike Pence chairs a meeting of the National Space Council in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 21, 2018, focused on fostering commercial space activities. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com/kenkremer.com

Pence flew in from Washington D.C, aboard Air Force 2 arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) the evening before on Tuesday, Feb.  20 around 5 p.m. EST. 

The theme of the meeting was the Trump Administration’s "Moon, Mars, and Worlds Beyond” initiative.

The meeting included testimonials from a variety of “leaders in the civil, commercial and national security sectors about the importance of the United States’ space enterprise.”

The dignitaries were dramatically backdropped by the NASA Orion, Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon crew vehicle hardware currently under development to restore American access to space, seated inside American spaceships launching atop American rockets from American soil here at the Kennedy Space Center.

The KSC space summit took place just a week after the Trump Administration proposed a NASA budget request of $19.9 Billion for Fiscal Year 2019 - with a goal of returning Americans to the Moon in the next decade.    That amounts to barely a 2% increase over FY 2018.

Vice President Mike Pence addresses a meeting of the National Space Council in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 21, 2018. Chaired by the Vice President, the council heard testimony from representatives from civil space, commercial space and national security space industry representatives, backdropped by the NASA Orion, Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon crew vehicles.  Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com/kenkremer.com

In his speech Pence highlighted burdensome government regulations as hindering private enterprises efforts to exploit space and he appeared to take copious notes from the presentations by the various council members and two panels of experts.

“U.S. companies are often stifled by a convoluted maze of bureaucratic obstacles and outdated regulatory processes.  Today’s launch licensing regime is plagued by burdensome government barriers,” Pence said. “Government launch licenses can’t be transferred from one site to another.”

“So if a company receives its license to launch a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center but then wants to move their mission to California or even just a few miles away from Cape Canaveral, that same company must complete the entire process all over again.”

“The government’s figured out how to honor drivers licenses across state lines, there’s no reason we can’t do the same for rockets.”

Vice President Mike Pence addresses a meeting of the National Space Council in the high bay of the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Feb. 21, 2018. Chaired by the Vice President, the council heard testimony from representatives from civil space, commercial space and national security space industry representatives, backdropped by the NASA Orion, Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon crew vehicles.  Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com/kenkremer.com

This was the second meeting of the reconstituted National Space Council which has been reactivated under the Trump Administration after lying dormant for about 25 years since 1993.

"We re-launched this National Space Council, an organization of vital importance to America's future in space that had laid dormant for a quarter of a century," Pence said.

Pence was named by President Trump to lead the National Space Council after signing an executive order to reestablish the group on June 30, 2017.

Vice President Mike Pence is greeted by NASA Acting Administrator Lightfoot and Brig General Wayne Montieth at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in Florida on Air Force 2 on Feb. 20, 2018, to chair a meeting of the National Space Council on Feb 21. The council discussed the "Moon, Mars, and Worlds Beyond” initiative. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com/kenkremer.com

According to the White House, Pence “will provide policy recommendations to the President to streamline the regulatory environment for commercial space companies.”

The council members agreed on a set of four recommendations “to reform the commercial space regulatory frameworks at the Departments of Transportation and Commerce.”

Here are highlights from the four recommendations resulting from the KSC Space Summit:

RECOMMENDATION 1: The Secretary of Transportation should work to transform the launch and re-entry licensing regime. 

 The Department of Transportation would require a single license for all types of launch and re-entry vehicle operations and transform the launch and re-entry regulatory process from one of prescriptive requirements to a performance based licensing regime.  

RECOMMENDATION 2: The Secretary of Commerce should consolidate its space commerce responsibilities, other than launch and reentry, in the Office of the Secretary of Commerce.  

 The Department of Commerce should develop a legislative proposal to create an Under Secretary of Space Commerce, who would be responsible for all commercial space regulatory functions.

RECOMMENDATION 3: The National Telecommunication and Information Administration should coordinate with the Federal Communications Commission to ensure the protection and stewardship of radio frequency spectrum necessary for commercial space activities.  

 The protection of radio frequency spectrum necessary for commercial space activity should not adversely affect national security or public safety.  

RECOMMENDATION 4: The Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, in coordination with members of the National Space Council, should initiate a policy review of the current export licensing regulations affecting commercial space activity

“The National Space Council's role is to advise the president on America's space policy and strategy, and review the nation's long-range goals for space activities.”

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Air Force 2 on Feb. 20, 2018, to chair a meeting of the National Space Council on Feb 21.  Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com/kenkremer.com

The Vice President also took a detailed tour of NASA KSC, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and private industrial space facilities from ULA and Blue Origin for an up close look at the burgeoning space activities sparking a long sought and hoped for revival of America’s premier spaceport. 

The VP’s tour was led by acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot and KSC Director and former shuttle commander Robert Cabana.  

Pence visited the ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket being prepared to launch NASA’s Parker Solar Probe in July, on a tour led by ULA CEO Tory Bruno.  

Read our related stories about the FY 2019 NASA budget proposal and plans by Trump to end all funding for the ISS after 2024 – a shortsighted move that threatens the outposts future if commercial tenants can’t be found willing to spend untold billions of dollars in upkeep and support.

Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer - ken at kenkremer.com