The Vice President spoke at the space flight center.
The first National Space Council of the Biden administration is meeting on Wednesday with Vice President Harris set to outline the White House's approach to space policy.
The National Space Council was revived after two decades under the previous presidency, and often came with executive orders such as returning U.S. astronauts to the moon.
The White House released a document called the United States Space Priorities Framework, which gives an overview of how the Biden administration plans to develop and implement national space policy and strategy going forward.
The framework emphasizes that the U.S. wants to promote and protect the data, products, and services from space that will enable American businesses and create American jobs in sectors as varied as manufacturing, transportation, logistics, agriculture, finance, and communications.
The framework says the U.S. wants to distribute Earth observation data to support both domestic and international efforts to address the climate crisis. The White House document says that it is transferring space situational awareness information to an open data platform that will be hosted by a U.S. agency.
Following the Russian test of an anti-satellite weapon last month, there are two top-of-mind issues, the increasing risk from space debris and military activities in space. The Russian military destroyed a satellite, showering it with debris and causing astronauts to shelter on the International Space Station as the debris cloud passed by. Russia has yet to face a harsh rebuke for the demonstration despite the U.S. condemning the test.
The White House framework says the U.S. wants to strengthen its ability to detect and attribute hostile acts in space. The U.S. will engage diplomatically with strategic competitors in order to enhance stability in outer space.
The National Space Council is expected to get five new members on Wednesday when President Biden signs an executive order.
