The White House plans to keep the National Space Council, what, according to industry representatives, can serve as a defender of space amid pressure to cut budgets. Expected, that the White House will formally announce the continuation of the National Space Council in the coming weeks after rumors that, that the new Trump administration will not keep it. Politico first reported the move.
Source, familiar with council discussions, but not authorized to speak officially, reported, that President Trump is in a meeting 5 May agreed to abolish the council. At this meeting, no time frame was given for the public announcement of the establishment of the board or the appointment of the executive secretary, who would handle her daily activities, although others have pointed out, that the process of selecting the executive secretary has been going on for several weeks. The Council was inactive for almost a quarter of a century, before Trump reinstated it in 2017 year. Headed at that time by Vice President Mike Pence, it acted as an interdepartmental coordinating body, holding a series of public meetings and publishing policies on a wide range of space issues.
The Biden administration retained the council, led by Vice President Kamala Harris. The council had less public resonance, held fewer meetings and conducted less politics. She worked to coordinate policy among agencies and published a proposal for "mission authorization" of new space activities, which are not currently licensed. Simultaneously, her proposed bill was not passed by Congress. It is reported, that the new Trump administration, after starting work in January, was not interested in saving the council, and then it was not announced about its new composition or other types of activities. According to some reports, Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of SpaceX and a close adviser to the president, was against the establishment of the council, considering it unnecessary. Vice President JD Vance, who should head the council, also said little about space.
It is not clear, what prompted this change, while Musk publicly stated, that plans to spend less time on government activities. However, some in the space community see the change as an opportunity for greater support for space within the administration, especially given the budget proposal for 2026 The financial year, which cuts NASA's budget by almost 25%.
A representative of the industry noted, that the draft budget was developed by the Administrative and Budgetary Department (OMB) without the counterweight of the space council, which is an approach, which prioritizes cost reduction. The result may be different if the space council will act, the specialist noted, citing increases in NASA budgets during Trump's first term.
Source: https://spacenews.com/trump-administration-to-keep-national-space-council/