Fifty-one years ago, the United States focused its will, leadership, and imagination to lead the greatest expedition in history, the landing of the first humans on another celestial body. The aspiration to explore space led the United States to generate new technologies, capabilities, expertise, and businesses to fulfill this goal.
Since America’s first steps on the Moon, the United States has utilized its space capabilities to stimulate economic growth, enhance the quality of life for all Americans and people around the world, and advance the principles of democracy, human rights, and economic freedom.
The Trump Administration and the National Space Council recognize the opportunities for continued American prosperity and innovation afforded by U.S. space activities and announced the release of the National Space Policy.
The policy is President Trump’s direction for all U.S. space activities and reaffirms the Nation’s interest to act responsibly in space to ensure the safety, stability, security, and long-term sustainability of space activities. Under President Trump’s leadership, this will create new economic opportunities for the commercial space sector as well as the promotion of American values through American technology and innovation. The policy builds upon over 50 years of U.S. principles for responsible space activities and brings America’s policy in alignment with the technological advances and modern realities of the space domain. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proud to support this policy and will immediately set to work implementing the policy’s guidance to ensure the security of America’s citizens, values, and homeland.
“This is an exciting moment for American space activities and technical innovation,” said Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf, a member of the National Space Council. “America has always pushed the boundaries of technical innovation and explored our solar system for the good of all mankind. This policy reaffirms America’s commitment to safe, secure, and stable standards for space activities that will benefit all.”
The policy reaffirms the commitment of the U.S. to act responsibly in space and recognizes that responsible space actors operate with openness, transparency, and predictability to maintain the benefits of space for all humanity. It also encourages the continued growth of the U.S. commercial space sector as a source of continued progress and sustained American leadership in space.
Space exploration is a means of expanding American leadership and values and to generate new markets for innovation-driven entrepreneurship. DHS is adopting a more central role than in the past by focusing on the implementation of cybersecurity in space systems, the security of space asset supply chains, and the increased resilience of the space-based systems upon which we rely for important information and communications.
“DHS’s new role in space activities will result in a more secure and innovative homeland prepared to support the opportunities for our citizens that will result,” the DHS said in a statement.