【Western Archives】

President Donald Trump is Western Archivesbringing back the National Space Council.

On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence announced Trump's plan to re-establish a National Space Council -- a Bush-era advisory board established to serve as a go-between for the White House and NASA.

SEE ALSO: It's about damn time for NASA astronauts to get health care for life

"In very short order, the president will be taking action to relaunch the National Space Council," Pence said during the signing of a NASA authorization bill.

"...We're going to be bringing together the best and the brightest in NASA and also in the private sector."

This is the first time Trump has mentioned space and NASA in any substantial way since his election.

While he has offhandedly mentioned spaceflight in a few of his speeches -- and his budget blueprint does outline some of NASA's future -- the establishment of the space council is the first real news about NASA's future to come out of the administration since Trump moved into the White House in January.

However, this move shouldn't exactly come as a shock.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Trump's campaign plugged the idea of re-establishing the council before the election, and multiple Republican presidents have used this kind of advisory board to their advantage in the past.

It's not yet clear exactly when the council will be established, but Pence will head it up, as other vice presidents have done before him.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It is clear that Trump sees NASA as something of a jobs program, and during the campaign he lamented the loss of NASA jobs in Florida's space coast after the shutdown of the space shuttle program.

"It's a lot of jobs, and these are great jobs," Trump said before signing the bill.

Trump also praised some of the high points of the bill, including the health care provision that allows NASA to set up a framework to treat former astronauts for medical issues sustained as a result of spaceflight.

He also reaffirmed the country's commitment to building the huge Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft -- which he mistakenly pronounced "Oor-ian" -- to send NASA deeper into the solar system than ever before.

"We have elected a builder for president and as he said, America once again is to start building and leading to the stars," Pence said.

Trump also joked about fixing our highways on Earth during the signing, echoing a controversial statement he made during the campaign about the need to fix potholes on this planet before thinking about space travel.

---

Featured Video For You

---

NASA designed grippers that can lift celestial rocks in microgravity

---

• Life
• Science
• Games
• Digital Culture
• Entertainment
• Social Good
• Deals
• Tech

• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 9, 2025
• There's still a chance for the iPad mini to become the best iPad ever
• Why 3 Soviet
• Facebook really needs more people to watch Stories in its main app
• SpaceX's Starlink will provide free satellite internet to families in Texas school district
• Excited kittens can't stop watching the Olympics
• Olympic event has to be restarted twice, random official becomes meme
• Earth’s carbon levels are likely their highest in 15 million years
• Boeing's new VR simulator immerses astronauts in space training
• RPGnet gaming forum formally bans Donald Trump support on the website

• NBA Top Shot NFT scam promoted by hacked ESPN reporter's X / Twitter account
• Nintendo Switch 2 release date delayed? The new rumored launch window
• MWC Barcelona: Xiaomi announces global launch of Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra
• Iowa vs. Illinois basketball livestreams: Game time, streaming deals
• Energy Secretary Rick Perry wants to hold a climate change 'debate'
• NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 25
• Google's Gemini will soon be messaging you
• The complete list of winners at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 'Problemista' review: This funky New York fairytale is an instant comedy classic
• EPA chief wants his climate change 'debate' televised

• Every MCU movie villain ranked, from "Iron Man" to "Thunderbolts*"
• Apple unveils new MacBook Air with retina display
• Lana Del Rey showed up to make everyone cry at the Apple event
• This Reese's machine lets you exchange your trash Halloween candy for peanut butter cups
• A Typical Wall Street Republican
• Astronauts in space are getting into the Halloween spirit
• Here's how to update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to iOS 12.1
• That picture of Justin Bieber eating a burrito sideways was a total hoax
• Fyre Festival and Trump’s Language
• Intrepid rat attempts to escape mall cop by going up the down escalator

• NYT Strands hints, answers for May 5
• There's still a chance for the iPad mini to become the best iPad ever
• Olympics coverage is rife with sexism and here's what needs to change
• 17 motivational quotes from your favorite 2016 Olympians
• How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your iPhone's Battery
• The 'Riverdale' cameo on 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' makes zero sense
• The 'Riverdale' cameo on 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' makes zero sense
• Balloon fanatic Tim Kaine is also, of course, very good at harmonica
• SpaceX's Starlink will provide free satellite internet to families in Texas school district
• Please Apple, don't kill MagSafe