Credit: NASA

The next president of the United States could be the first in that office to accept a phone call from the Moon and hear a woman’s voice on the other end of the line. To do so, they will first need to make a series of strategic space policy decisions. They will also need a little luck.

Huge government investment supports outer space activities, so the president of the United States has a huge role in shaping space policy during his term.

Past presidents have harnessed this power to accelerate America’s leadership in space and boost their presidential brand along the way. The presidential defense has helped the United States land astronauts on the surface of the moonestablish long-lasting international partnerships with civilian space agencies abroad and led to many other important space milestones.

But most presidential candidates refrain from discussing space policy during the election campaign in significant detail, leaving voters in the dark about their visions for the final frontier.

For many candidates, getting into the weeds of their space policy plans may be more trouble than it’s worth. For one thing, not all presidents even get the chance to make meaningful and memorable space policy decisions, since space missions can operate on decades-long timelines. And in past elections, those who do show support for space initiatives they often face criticism from his opponents for their high prices.

But the 2024 elections are different. Both candidates have executive backgrounds in space policy, a rare gift for space enthusiasts voting in November.

like a researcher who studies international affairs in outer spaceI’m interested in how those records interact with the strategic and sustainable use of that domain. A closer look shows that former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have used their positions to consistently prioritize American leadership in space, but they have done so with strikingly different styles and results.

Trump’s space policy record

As president, Trump established a record of significant and lasting space policy decisions, but he did so by bringing more attention to his administration’s space activities than his predecessors. he regularly took personal credit for ideas and achievements which was prior to his mandate.

The former president oversaw the establishment of the US Space Force and the restoration of the US Space Commandas well as the National Space Council. These organizations support the development and operation of military space technologies, defend national security satellites in future conflicts, and coordinate among federal agencies working in the space arena.

He also had the most productive track record of space policy directives in recent history. These policy directives clarify the US government’s goals in space, including how it should Support and trust the commercial space sector., track objects in Earth’s orbit and protect satellites from cyber threats.

He has called his defense of the creation of the Space Force one of his proudest achievements of his mandate. However, this defense contributed to polarized support for the new branch. This polarization broke the most common beliefs. pattern of bipartisan public support for spatial programming.

Like many presidents, not all of Trump’s visions for space came true. He successfully redirected the key destination of NASA’s human spaceflight from mars back to the moon. But his explicit goal of getting astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024 was not realisticgiven his budget proposal for the agency.

If elected again, the former president may want to speed up NASA’s lunar plans encouraging investment in the agency’s Artemis programwhich houses its lunar initiatives.

You can frame the initiative as a new space race against china.

Harris’ space policy record

The Biden administration has continued to support Trump-era initiatives, resisting the temptation to undo either cancel past proposals. Its legacy in space is notably minor.

As president of the National Space CouncilHarris has set US space policy priorities and represented the United States on the world stage.

Notably, the Trump administration maintained this position that the president can modify at will assigned to the vice president, a precedent that the Biden administration maintained.

In this role, Harris led the America’s commitment refrain from testing weapons in space that produce dangerous and long-lasting space debris. This decision marks an achievement for the United States in maintaining sustainable space operations and setting an example for others in the international space community.

Like some of the Trump administration’s space policy priorities, not all of Harris’s proposals found support in Washington.

The council’s plan to establish a framework for a comprehensive evaluation regulate commercial space activities In the United States, for example, stalled in Congress.

If enacted, these new regulations would have ensured that future space activities, such as Private companies that operate on the Moon. either transport tourists to orbit and backpass critical security checks.

If elected, Harris could choose to continue her efforts to shape norms of responsible behavior in space and organize oversight of the space industry.

Alternatively, he could hand over the portfolio to his own vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has virtually no experience in space policy issues.

Stability in the main space policy decisions

Despite the two candidates’ very different platforms, voters can expect stability in American space policy as a result of this year’s election.

Given their past leadership, it is unlikely that either candidate will seek to dramatically alter the long-term missions that the largest government space organizations have underway during the next presidential term. And none of them are likely to undermine the achievements of their predecessors.

Thomas G. RobertsPostdoctoral Fellow in International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology

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