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Donald Trump is reportedly gearing up to dissolve the National Space Council just days after becoming the 47th president of the United States.
If you thought signing a deluge of controversial executive orders, dishing out thousands of pardons, and announcing $50 billion AI programs was a wild to start Donald Trump's second presidency, that could be nothing compared to what he's got planned.
America isn't just leaning into Trump's 'drill, baby, drill' motto, with it hoping to take over the stars. There's already something of a space war between Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, but with Musk firmly in the ear of the returning POTUS, there are concerns he could gain an advantage over the competition.
As shared by Reuters, lobbying from Elon Musk's SpaceX might’ve seen President Trump axe the White House's National Space Council.
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The body evolved from the National Aeronautics and Space Council (1958-1973) and was founded in 1989 under George H. W. Bush. It was later disbanded in 1993 due to friction with NASA and its functions being absorbed into the National Science and Technology Council.
Bizarrely, it was the first Trump administration that reestablished the National Space Council in 2017. The National Space Council is overseen by the Vice President, but according to sources close to Reuters, there are questions about whether JD Vance is even interested in heading it up.
The site maintains that Trump aides and SpaceX lobbyist Mat Dunn have dubbed the National Space Council a "waste of time." Sources say that while Trump's team contacted NASA about the transition between administrations, the National Space Council and chair Kamala Harris were sidelined. More than this, its staff offices near the White House have reportedly been 'mostly' emptied. The final nail in the coffin is the official site leading to a "404 page not found" error.
Under the Biden administration, the National Space Council held one public council meeting every year, with a focus on building international alliances and imposing rules in space.
Musk might not have his own desk at the White House, but according to Reuters, he could be getting what he wants when it comes to the National Space Council.
Musk was spearheading the new Department of Government Efficiency with Vivek Ramaswamy but is now going it alone to try and slash $2 trillion off government spending.
Even though some might see the National Space Council as a waste of time and money, there could be more to the story.
In 2023, the National Space Council put forward a proposal that would license private space activities and supervise private missions more closely - which is sure to be a thorn in the side of Musk's plans for SpaceX dominance.
Remember that Trump already named Musk ally Jared Isaacman as the new head of NASA, while Trump also attended SpaceX’s sixth Starship test launch in November.
In a charged op-ed on SpaceNews, Audrey Schaffer, former space policy chief on Biden's National Security Council, championed the importance of the National Space Council and wrote: "Without a team dedicated to space policy, the sheer volume of issues White House staff must tackle on a daily basis quickly crowds out any space agenda."
She maintains that a 'clear and strong' space policy is needed quickly or we face slowing "the significant progress made over the past decade in maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration."
