Both former President Trump and Vice President Harris have demonstrated their enthusiasm for space exploration and acumen for advancing space policy when in positions of power. However, the space policy of a future Harris or second Trump Administration will depend on how space fits into their worldview. Based on what’s been said on the campaign trail so far, we can glean the general direction of both candidates.
Drawing on her record as Vice President and Chair of the National Space Council, Kamala Harris’s space policy priorities in her administration would likely blend a continuation of existing initiatives with a renewed focus on championing action on climate change and workforce development. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, where many of these needs exist currently, is ripe with opportunities for a Harris Administration to champion additional investments in and focus on space science.
Prominence of the U.S. space program is also a clear driving motivator for the Vice President. In her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, Vice President Harris stated that she “will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence. That America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership.” This will likely mean that programs that center national posture, namely the Artemis program, will enjoy continued support in a Harris Administration.
Want to learn more about the possible space priorities of a Harris Administration? check out this interview on Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition with Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator and Democratic space policy expert.
For former President Trump, maintaining U.S. preeminence is a major component of his campaign rhetoric. To that end, a second Trump Administration would likely view space as a key arena for competition with China, and would therefore prioritize initiatives aimed at maintaining American dominance in the space domain. This could include bolstering programs that accelerate the development of commercial space capabilities, like Artemis and the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Mars Sample Return is an example of a program that offers an opportunity to leverage the burgeoning commercial space industry to accomplish something that no other nation has: returning scientifically significant samples from another planet.
“We will lead the world in space,” said former President Trump at a recent campaign stop in North Carolina. In touting his relationship with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has endorsed the former president in his personal capacity, Trump also expressed a need to increase the cadence of Starship launches “because we want to reach Mars before the end of my term.” This implies that a policy of a second Trump Administration will be to expedite the development of NASA’s Moon-to-Mars plan to build upon the Artemis program to send astronauts to Mars.
Check out the Space Policy Edition interview with Dr. Greg Autry to learn about the possible space policy of a second Trump Administration. Dr. Autry served as part of the NASA transition team for the first Trump Administration.
Second in command
While the President sets the tone and direction, the Vice President, as Chair of the National Space Council, plays a central role in implementing an administration’s space policy priorities. Both Governor Tim Walz and Senator J.D. Vance have publicly expressed their support for NASA and space exploration, but neither has the depth of space policy experience of the candidates at the top of their respective tickets.
Senator Vance, representing the home of Glenn Research Facility, joined a congressional letter with fellow Ohio Senator, Sherrod Brown, urging the Biden Administration to provide additional funding for the Glenn Research Center and Neil Armstrong Test Facility in the FY 2024 budget request.