NASA is setting its sights back on the moon and its plans to make history in 2024.
This is happening as Vice President Mike Pence is making a stop on the Space Coast this week for his final space council meeting, weeks before a new administration moves in.
Sunday morning’s SpaceX launch from Kennedy Space Center was a big success.
The re-designed Cargo capsule set to bring 6,400 pounds of research, supplies and even goodies for the four astronauts now at the International Space Station.
“It’s an extraordinarily exciting time in the life of this program,” Pence said in May, at the last meeting of the council.
Pence is set to return to the Cape this Wednesday to lead his final National Space Council’s meeting.
The council handles the nation’s space policies.
Since their last meeting back in the spring, American astronauts have returned to launching from Florida.
“The National Space Council has been a real positive development for the U.S. space program,” said Dale Ketcham of Space Florida.
Space Florida expects Pence will talk about the nation’s ambitious deadline to get astronauts back to the moon and also President Donald Trump’s efforts in re-establishing the space council.
This comes as NASA’s Artemis program is set to land the next man and the first woman on the moon by 2024.
“They want to consolidate what they’ve accomplished to date, but they’re also very much setting the table for the incoming Biden administration to see to it that they can encourage them to continue the National Space Council in the appropriate fashion under a new administration,” Ketcham said.
Space Florida expects a new presidency to keep the National Space Council, but its direction and its policies moving forward could change.