Kamala Harris vows to put an international astronaut on the moon
Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday said the U.S. space program intends to land an international astronaut on the moon by the end of the decade.
Ms. Harris made the pledge during a White House meeting of the U.S. National Space Council that focused on international partnership and the Artemis space program.
“The Artemis program is the most ambitious space exploration effort in generations,” Ms. Harris said. “For the first time in more than half a century, the United States will return astronauts to the lunar surface. We will establish the first lunar base camp and the first station in lunar orbit — all of this in collaboration with our allies and partners.”
Ms. Harris said the European Space Agency built the service module that will carry Artemis astronauts to the moon and that Europe, Japan and Canada will make “significant contributions” to the lunar space station.
“Today, in recognition of the essential role that our allies and partners play in the Artemis program, I am proud, then, to announce that alongside American astronauts, we intend to land an international astronaut on the surface of the moon by the end of the decade,” Ms. Harris said.
The vice president said global cooperation in space is critical to fighting climate change, pointing to images taken from space to monitor trends in air quality and deforestation.
She also said the Biden administration is committed to drafting rules for “safe and predictable” commercial space exploration while providing enough flexibility for private innovation.
“We intend that these domestic rules will serve as a model for global action,” Ms. Harris said.
The National Space Council was established under President George H.W. Bush and disbanded in 1993 before it was revived under the Trump administration.
Ms. Harris on Wednesday recognized the fourth anniversary of the formation of the Space Force, a branch of the military created by legislation during the Trump administration to focus on operations in space. Professionals in the force, or “guardians,” received applause from attendees.
