President Donald Trump has issued a new policy that outlines plans to advance U.S. interests in space, reaffirm the country’s leadership in the space domain and adapt the U.S. national security strategy to counter aggression in space.
The National Space Policy “represents a whole-of-government approach that recognizes space as a national imperative” and calls for the U.S. Space Force to improve the U.S. armed forces’ capabilities to “protect our freedom of operation in, from, and to space,” Trump said in a statement published Wednesday.
The policy establishes principles and goals to advance national interests in space, such as incentivizing and promoting the private industry to facilitate the creation of domestic and global markets for U.S. space goods and services, creating a sustainable, secure and stable environment for space activities and extending human economic activity into deep space.
The document includes cross sector guidelines that are categorized into eight areas: foundational activities and capabilities; international cooperation; preserving the space environment to enhance the long-term sustainability of space activities; effective export policies; space nuclear power and propulsion; protection of electromagnetic spectrum; cybersecurity for U.S. space systems; and assurance of national critical functions.
Foundational activities and capabilities, for instance, call for the heads of agencies to strengthen and secure the U.S. space industrial base, safeguard space components of critical infrastructure, maintain and enhance space-based positioning, navigation and timing systems and develop and retain space professionals.
