National Space Council
The Secretary of Commerce is a key member of the National Space Council, representing the interests of the U.S. commercial space industry as well as the civilian weather satellite enterprise operated by NOAA. Please note that the National Space Council is a component of the Executive Office of the President (aka White House), not the Department of Commerce.
View report as PDF (1.8 MB)Today, the Office of Space Commerce published a report on the Commerce Department’s space commerce accomplishments under Secretary Wilbur Ross and the Trump Administration. The report recaps the Department’s success in achieving its strategic objective to…
Today, President Donald J. Trump issued Space Policy Directive-7 (SPD-7), the United States Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Policy. Recognizing that space-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems are increasingly critical to the American way of life, SPD-7 directs the…
Today, the White House released a report titled, “Renewing America’s Proud Legacy of Leadership in Space: Activities of the National Space Council and United States Space Enterprise.” The report highlights the Trump Administration’s space policy accomplishments. View the report (5.3 MB…
Today, President Trump issued a new National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion (Space Policy Directive-6). It is intended to ensure the development and use of space nuclear power and propulsion systems when appropriate to enable and achieve the…
On December 16, 2020, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross published an opinion piece in Space News titled, “Space Commerce Accelerating.” The op-ed discusses the role of the U.S. commercial space industry in the new space race, notes the progress made…
Today, the White House released President Donald Trump’s National Space Policy providing direction for all United States space activities. View policy at whitehouse.gov (1.3 MB PDF) View White House fact sheet View statement from the President The National Space Policy sets…
Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross participated in the eighth meeting of the National Space Council, held at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. He delivered an update on the Administration’s efforts to foster the growth of the commercial space industry through…
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today announced the publication of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Streamlined Launch and Reentry Licensing Requirements Final Rule for commercial space transportation launches and reentries. “This historic, comprehensive update to commercial space launch…
Today, President Donald J. Trump issued Space Policy Directive-5 (SPD-5), the Nation’s first comprehensive cybersecurity policy for space systems. View SPD-5 at archives.gov View fact sheet at archives.gov (PDF) SPD-5 establishes key cybersecurity principles to guide and serve as the…
On August 27, Office of Space Commerce Director Kevin O’Connell represented the Commerce Department at the 7th meeting of the high-level U.S.-Japan Comprehensive Dialogue on Space in Tokyo, Japan. O’Connell provided updates on the Department’s efforts to transition the Defense…