Missing in Action: The National Space Council
In more serious news, the Senate and House united in opposing major NASA cuts. Now it's up to the White House to decide whether it will listen. And rumors are flying around the space industry about whether anyone actually wants to lead the National Space Council.
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The Spotlight
No one wants to run the National Space Council, if you follow the rumors rocketing through space circles that at least three people have declined the job.
The reality is … more earthly.
I broke the news in early May that the White House would restaff the council, which coordinates space policy across the federal government. The group is viewed as influential, in part because by statute the vice president chairs it.
Two months after the decision, the administration still hasn't made any staffing announcements. The White House did not respond to my request for comment on what progress it has made in standing up the council, which consists of an executive secretary and several officials.
Rumor mill: Industry circles have filled the void with all manner of speculation. Four industry officials, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, said they had heard that former Space Force Gen. Jay Raymond, ex-National Space Council executive secretary Scott Pace, and former Office of Space Commerce head Kevin O'Connell all declined the position.
So I asked them.
The gossip appears to have been just that. Raymond said he had not been offered the job and had no plans to return to government service. O'Connell said he had not been approached. Pace said he had no plans to go back.
Status check: It's quite possible the White House simply hasn't started the process of choosing an executive secretary.
The National Space Council, and space in general, is usually pretty low on the agenda of new administrations. Chirag Parikh, the executive secretary for the Biden administration's National Space Council, didn't assume the role until eight months after former President Joe Biden took office.
The attention of the executive branch is also focused on other pressing issues, from Ukraine to the recent passage of President Donald Trump's reconciliation bill. There's also the matter of choosing a full-time NASA administrator.
Give us a sign: The swirl of rumors may have more to do with the space industry's eagerness to believe the White House cares about space.
Many in the space sector are supportive of reviving the National Space Council. O'Connell, the former Office of Space Commerce head, said he hoped it would get going soon so officials could tackle issues such as the Golden Dome missile defense shield and advancing the space economy. The House appropriations subcommittee that covers civil space voted this week for almost $2 million in funds for a council.
But even if the search for staff is in full swing, it's a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. Any candidate must have experience with space issues, be ready to defend the administration's controversial space policy, be willing to forgo a lucrative private sector job, and have no ties to Trump's adversaries. That list includes Democrats, Elon Musk, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who headed the Space Council under the first Trump administration.
For now, space enthusiasts may just have to cross their fingers and wait.
Galactic Government
ALL TOGETHER NOW: Both the House and Senate issued a clear 'no thanks' to steep White House cuts to NASA, presaging a political battle if the White House tries to bully its version through.
The administration has proposed a nearly 25 percent cut to the agency. But the Senate appropriations subcommittee voted along partisan lines on Thursday to fund NASA at $24.9 billion, or the same as in 2025. The split was due in part to a disagreement over a bill provision unrelated to NASA.
Chair Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) told me last week that the bill would be a 'normal' appropriation. Ranking member Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said it would fund NASA science programs at $7.3 billion, the same as in 2025 and a rejection of the White House's proposed $3.4 billion cut. The House subcommittee that oversees NASA also voted this week for a budget on par with previous years at $24.8 billion.
The House budget differs from 2025 in that it would boost space exploration by $2 billion and cut science funding by $1 billion. Democrats voiced opposition to the cuts to science programs.
What next: What happens now is anyone's guess. The White House could seek to push the cuts through anyway. But that would pick a political fight with the administration's Republican allies, most notably NASA supporter Ted Cruz(R-Texas) — a potentially bruising battle for a few billion dollars.
Military
EYE IN THE SKY: Commercial satellite companies, take heart. The House Armed Services Committee this week voted to increase funding for a Space Force program that uses the businesses' spy photos.
The Space Force effort, dubbed the Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Tracking Program, supplies commercial imagery to deployed forces and was used to help soldiers evacuate from Niger in 2024. The House National Defense Authorization Act would raise its funding by $10 million, and turn the pilot program into a more permanent $50 million one.
Why it matters: Commercial satellite imagery companies, in a rare public outcry, protested proposed White House cuts to National Reconnaissance Office contracts for the companies' imagery. This is particularly key to Ukraine, which relies on U.S. commercial satellite pictures for its battle plans.
But even if the companies lose clients as part of the White House cuts, they could gain some funding through the Space Force program.
The Reading Room
Musk's SpaceX Plans Share Sale That Would Value Company at About $400 Billion: Bloomberg.
Lawmakers Want DoD Briefings on Nuke Propulsion, VLEO, Commercial PNT: Payload
Space Force sets guidelines prioritizing military missions as launch demand surges: SpaceNews
The ISS is nearing retirement, so why is NASA still gung-ho about Starliner? Ars Technica
Event Horizon
MONDAY:
NASA will hold a news conference on the joint U.S.-Indian Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite.
TUESDAY
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics's ASCEND 2025 conference starts in Las Vegas.
The Space Foundation holds the 'Innovate Space: Global Economic Summit.'
The Mitchell Institute hosts a webinar with Space Force Brig. Gen. Jacob Middleton.
Making Moves
Andrew Lock has joined the public policy team at Project Kuiper, Amazon's constellation of low-earth orbit satellites. He most recently was principal at Monument Advocacy, and was a staffer in both the House and Senate.
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