10 Dec 2020
Vice President Mike Pence, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, introduced some of the 18 astronauts that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen to be on the initial team for the early Artemis missions on and around the Moon.
Nine of the astronauts are women, and one of them will most likely be the first woman to step foot on the Moon.
The Moon missions are part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to restart the nation’s space program after Barack Obama virtually shut it down. Trump also created the United States Space Force, now one of eight U.S. uniformed services.
Trump administration releases national space policy December 10, 2020 Chief of Space Operations at United States Space Force Gen. John Raymond, left, and Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman, right, hold the U.S. Space Force flag as President Donald Trump walks past it, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 1, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) WASHINGTON Just days before the first anniversary of the U.S. Space Force, the White House has issued a new national space policy. In addition to outlining priorities for civilian and commercial space growth, the Dec. 9 document outlines how the outgoing administration wants the military and the intelligence community to approach space.
Cape Canaveral, Patrick Air Force Base renamed for Space Force
Updated Dec 09, 2020;
By News Service of Florida The Daytona Beach News-Journal (TNS) and Tribune Media Services
Vice President Mike Pence announced Wednesday that Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base have been renamed as part of the new military branch Space Force.
“Today we make history with the first two installations in the history of the United States Space Force to bear the name of this new branch of the service,” Pence said shortly after arriving at Cape Canaveral.
The new names are Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base.
Dec 10, 2020
API Geoeconomic Briefing is a series provided by the Asia Pacific Initiative, an independent think tank based in Tokyo. The series will look into geopolitical and economic trends in the post-COVID-19 world, with a particular focus on technology and innovation, global supply chains, international rule-making and climate change.
Outer space is the new front line of a technology race between superpowers, triggering increased geopolitical and geoeconomic risks.
During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were the major players in the race. But the power balance has shifted in recent years with China launching rockets and gaining the capability to destroy the satellites of other countries.