WASHINGTON, December 1, Reuters - The Biden administration laid out a new strategy for responsible civil, commercial and national security-related use of space amid growing commercial interests and concerns about Chinese and Russian competition.
The White House said that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is going to convene the inaugural National Space Council meeting, planned to ask members of the government body to develop rules and norms for responsible behavior in space.
The administration said in a report outlining its space priorities, we are on the brink of historic changes in access to and use of space changes that have the potential to bring the benefits of space to more people and communities than ever before.
The council's inaugural meeting came as Washington frets about rising security activity by its major rivals in space. China's test of hypersonic weapons this year has raised the prospect of an arms race https: www.reuters. Com business aerospace-defense us-hypersonic weapon-arms race-with-chinese air force secretariat 2021 -- 11 -- 30 over Earth-orbiting systems that could evade current missile defenses.
The administration also condemned https: www.reuters. A number of companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, are trying to bring a new era of private commercial space flights, following the 2021 -- 11 -- 16 Russian anti-satellite weapons test last month, which they said created debris and endangered the International Space Station ISS.
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Wednesday adding the heads of the Education, Labor, Agriculture, and Interior Departments as well as his National Climate Advisor to the National Space Council, the White House said.
The administration wants to increase space-climate data and enhance scientific-related efforts that could aid job creation and U.S. competitiveness, as well as increase space climate data, the group said in a statement.
The National Space Council is separate from the U.S. Space Force military branch created under former President Donald Trump.