The Biden administration is following the course set by the Trump administration when it comes to space, at least for now.
Why it matters: Governments often abandon the goals of their predecessors in favor of new ones when they come to power. That kind of “moonshot whiplash” could stall NASA on Earth because it takes consistency across administrations to achieve major reconnaissance goals.
Driving the news: Earlier this month, the Biden government confirmed its plans to continue the Artemis program to land the first woman and the next man on the surface of the moon.
- The government also threw itself behind the Space Force, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying the new military arm “has the full backing of the Biden administration.”
- “I am very proud of the Biden administration for sticking to these very important measures,” Jim Bridenstine, Trump’s NASA administrator, told me. “My goal from day one was to create a program that was sustainable, that could move from one administration to another.”
- The Biden administration also re-emphasizes the importance of climate change research at NASA, appointing Gavin Schmidt as the agency’s acting senior climate adviser, a new role that is expected to help lead NASA’s climate research.
Yes but: While some political nominations have been made to NASA, the government has yet to submit a nomination for NASA administrator, a key position that will set the course of the space agency.
- The first Artemis mission was expected to get people to the surface of the moon by 2024, but that now looks less likely, and some are recommending that the landing date be postponed for security and funding reasons.
- Experts also wonder how space policy and guidelines targeting space will be managed under this administration, as a result of the possible dissolution of the National Space Council.
Between the lines: So far, many of Biden’s moments of space news are due to press inquiries, not government statements driving the news itself.
- “They haven’t shown much interest in space,” unlike the Trump administration, Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told me. “This was not part of the campaign, and apparently it is not something they took the time to learn and really dive into.”
What to watch: While the space now appears to be on the radar for Biden, the real test will be how much funding he proposes in the administration’s budget.
- “You can say all the big words in the world about Artemis,” said Casey Dreier of the Planetary Society. “You can say all the great things you want about NASA, but when it comes down to it, NASA needs the resources to succeed.”