Thread by @thesheetztweetz

The first meeting of the National Space Council in the Biden administration, with @VP Kamala Harris leading, has begun.

Sen. @CaptMarkKelly, an astronaut, kicks things off.

Watch the livestream:

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Kelly: "As we've seen in recent weeks and months, the threats to U.S. national security and commercial assets in space are real, and these threats will undoubtedly grow in the years to come."

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Harris speaking now, thanking Kelly for his dedication and "life of service."

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Harris: "We must see all the ways in which space can benefit Earth," the American people, "and all of humanity."

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Harris says today's National Space Council meeting will focus on three areas:

1 - Building the U.S. STEM workforce
2 - "Addressing the climate crisis"
3 - Promoting rules and norms that govern space

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Harris emphasizes that the third "is probably one of the most important in terms of our nation's leadership around the world."

"Without clear norms for the responsible use of space, we stand the real risk of threats to our national and global security."

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1466117597611663360

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Harris: "We must establish and expand rules and norms on safety and security, on transparency and cooperation, to include military, commercial and civil space activity."

@VP @CaptMarkKelly Harris gives the Artemis Accords, which 13 nations have signed, as an example of similar recent cooperation, and says that France and Mexico have indicated they will bring that number up to 15.

@VP @CaptMarkKelly The NSC is now beginning a panel on "the norms and rules" of space, beginning with Commerce @SecRaimondo.

@VP @CaptMarkKelly @SecRaimondo Sec. Raimondo: "The recent Russian anti-satellite test was absolutely a wake-up call for all of us."

"Its potential impact to space safety and sustainability highlights the importance of the work" being done by the Office of Space Commerce.

@VP @CaptMarkKelly @SecRaimondo Now @USDOT @SecretaryPete is talking about space regulations for rocket launches:

"If orbit is to be developed, we're particularly concerned with the on-ramps and the off-ramps of launch and reentry."

@VP @CaptMarkKelly @SecRaimondo @USDOT @SecretaryPete Buttigieg: "We're actually getting close to the point where we will see more commercial launches on an annual basis than what we were accustomed to seeing over the course of about a decade, so we are gearing up."

@VP @CaptMarkKelly @SecRaimondo @USDOT @SecretaryPete .@StateDept Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman references a UN resolution that will create a process "to develop ideas for those national security space norms of behavior" in light of the Russian ASAT test.

@VP @CaptMarkKelly @SecRaimondo @USDOT @SecretaryPete @StateDept Harris says the Russian ASAT test's "destructive nature" created "a moment for us to really see very clearly what can happen and what potentially can be avoided with norms and rules" in space.

@VP @CaptMarkKelly @SecRaimondo @USDOT @SecretaryPete @StateDept Hicks: "Such a display of deliberate disregard for safety, security and sustainability in space" is "to be condemned" and "underscores the urgency ... of developing shared norms and having long term sustainability of outer space."

https://twitter.com/thesheetztweetz/status/1466122565026463764

Now onto the second panel on using satellite data for climate change, with Harris saying the U.S. wants "to make it accessible to a larger group of people."