Polaris

Incoming President Donald Trump has already tapped a number to lead federal departments and agencies, including a few who will have a hand in the next administration’s space policy.

“We are in a de facto Cold War, and this is something we cannot lose,” he said. “My goal is literally nothing short of space dominance.”

As you’re watching election results come in Tuesday after polls close, here are a handful of down-ballot races to watch that could have a big impact on space policy in 2025 and beyond.

The Biden administration’s legacy in space is one of global reach and using space as a soft power tool, as evidenced by its leadership on initiatives such as banning destructive ASAT testing and promoting the responsible use of space internationally through the Artemis Accords.

The next president must make space more resilient by boosting cooperation with the private sector, protecting the domestic supply chain, and increasing government investment in promising tech, according to a memo released Monday by MITRE. 

Commercial EO providers contribute to sectors ranging from agriculture to climate monitoring to defense—and now they’re banding together to make sure policymakers know the results of an administration-ordered study could put all of that in jeopardy.

The space community gathered at Payload’s first Space Capitol Forum on Tuesday to talk about ways for policy to adapt and better support the rapid advancements in space tech.

“I don’t care what way you look at this,” she told Payload. “Farming, national security, commercial—whatever angle you take, space affects us every day.”

Over the next several months, traffic is expected to ramp up on the Moon, but unlike the first race to the Moon, it will be commercial vehicles leaving their tracks behind.  NASA’s decision to tap commercial partners to deliver scientific payloads to the Moon is the latest in a broader space agency move toward boosting…

Four top lawmakers sent a letter to NASA late Friday casting much doubt on the agency’s decision to halt its VIPER mission after already sinking $450M into the spacecraft, which was fully assembled and awaiting testing.