Dec. 20 (UPI) — The White House said Wednesday that the United States plans to land an international astronaut on the surface of the moon by 2030. Vice President Kamala Harris will announce the mission at Wednesday’s Space Council meeting.
“The meeting will highlight the United States’ extraordinary progress in broadening and deepening international space partnerships across a range of areas, including supporting American leadership and strength, providing societal benefits here on Earth, and helping the United States lead a return of humans to the Moon with an unprecedented network of allies and partners,” the White House statement said.
President Joe Biden has approved increased integration with allies on space activities and information sharing “for mutual benefit in response to growing space and counterspace threats and to protect U.S. forces from hostile uses of space.”
Among the space efforts with allies are the Combined Space Operations Initiative with Italy, Japan and Norway as well as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The Department of Defense is also coordinating an international partner working group for tactical satellite communications comprised of 12 partner nations.
“Our allies and partners remain a source of enduring U.S. strength and competitive advantage, including in outer space,” the White House statement said.
The State Department and NASA are joining forces for a new initiative to advance Artemis Accords principles for the sustainable and safe exploration of space. So far 33 nations have signed the Artemis Accords.
A new U.S. Envoy for Space will be named by the State Department in 2024 to help build connections with foreign researchers, raise public awareness of how important space science is to society and promote space education.
The White House said the United States will deepen international commercial space partnerships as well.
At the National Space Council Meeting, the White House said the United States will make clear that “the United States is leading the world in the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.”
The council’s agenda will include a new policy on novel space activities tasked with developing a proposal for supervision and authorization of commercial novel space activities. It will focus on activities not already regulated.
This is the third National Space Council Meeting during the Biden administration.
