Most Americans are aware of the many technologies and resources DHS uses to keep our country secure, from advanced imaging technology at airports, to unmanned aerial systems at the border, to whatever projects the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency is managing.  There’s one frontier, however, we haven’t talked much about: space. Now we aren’t scanning cargo containers from the International Space Station or anything, but we do use satellites to track hurricanes, map floods, track vessels, and to communicate in emergencies.  In short, national space policy is critical for DHS to continue to keep Americans safe.   

Today, President Obama announced the Presidential Policy Directive on Space.  Space policy has been a part of national security since President Eisenhower issued the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law in 1958.  Every President since has used national space policy to address the unique challenges and priorities of the time.

President Obama’s Directive includes several measures to ensure that space policy promotes homeland security.  It emphasizes partnerships with the private sector and international governments and recognizes the crucial relationship between space-based assets and critical infrastructure, such as electric power and cell phones. 

These initiatives will enable DHS and others to use the best space technology available to address the concerns of today as well as the challenges of tomorrow. Check out the President's statement.