Trump’s proposal derives from a growing debate inside military and political circles about how to best meet the threat posed to American space assets by potential enemies: Russia and China, to be precise. SpaceNews.com

A former NASA astronaut used an appearance at a National Space Council meeting June 18 to argue that a key element of NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon should be reconsidered. SpaceNews.com

Trump: Creating a Space Force and promoting space exploration by NASA and the private sector will be “important for the nation’s psyche.” SpaceNews.com

President Trump will sign a new space policy directive June 18 addressing space traffic management issues, closely following the proposed policy that Vice President Pence announced in April. SpaceNews.com

A key senator says he’s keeping an open mind regarding who in the federal government should have responsibility for the oversight of “non-traditional” commercial space activities. SpaceNews.com

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee approved $49.5 million to create a new “program of record for commercial satellite communications." SpaceNews.com

As the National Space Council prepares for its third public meeting, its activities to date have won widespread praise in the space community, even as there is some skepticism about the effectiveness of the council’s advisory group that will soon meet for the first time. SpaceNews.com

A House hearing on the reasons for cost and schedule problems with major NASA programs pointed blame at a wide variety of sources, from the tools used to track programs to the agency’s mindset to Congress itself. SpaceNews.com

Astranis, a startup developing geostationary satellites to offer broadband internet access, plans to equip its MicroGEO spacecraft with Bradford of the Netherland’s high performance green ECAPS thrusters. SpaceNews.com

Oxford Space Systems, a British startup that hopes to compete with space industry giants Harris Corp. and Northrop Grumman in the satellite component business, has raised 6.7 million British pounds ($8.9 million) from investors. SpaceNews.com

Outer space is the last frontier of human exploration. Unfortunately, the glory days of landing men on the moon are now a distant memory. So too are the memories of watching space shuttles rumble to life and roar to space fading away. That is poised to change and America is ready to lead the way. SpaceNews.com

The relay satellite which will facilitate China’s Chang’e-4 lunar far side landing mission late in 2018 has entered its intended halo orbit around Earth-Moon Lagrange point 2. SpaceNews.com

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine used a recent speech to lay out not just the recent space policy changes that directly affect NASA activities but other administration efforts that focus more on commercial space. SpaceNews.com

Both chambers want legislation that strengthens the U.S. military space posture, said Thornberry. The House and Senate are “not going to let up in our push to do better in space.” SpaceNews.com

Despite conditions that have deprived the Opportunity Mars rover of solar power, NASA officials said June 13 that they expected the long-lived spacecraft to survive an intense ongoing dust storm. SpaceNews.com

To receive FIRST UP Satcom, a weekly SpaceNews newsletter for satellite and telecom professionals, sign up here. SpaceNews.com

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters the Pentagon appreciates the congressional focus on space issues and is not being passive about space reforms, although he would like to see further debate on the pros and cons of reorganizing the military. SpaceNews.com

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine says he’s pushing to have a current NASA center director and former astronaut be nominated to be his deputy. SpaceNews.com

While Angola’s first telecom satellite, Angosat-1, failed not long after reaching orbit late last year, the sub-Saharan African nation will get a second shot at satellite ownership with the planned 2020 launch of Angosat-2. SpaceNews.com

A fiscal year 2019 spending bill approved by a Senate appropriations subcommittee June 12 offers $21.3 billion for NASA, including funding for several missions slated for cancellation in the administration’s budget request. SpaceNews.com