The International Space Station orbited out of range on Friday, cutting off “space geek” Kamala Harris from her chat with astronauts there.
The National Space Council met in Houston under the direction of the vice president, who also serves as its chairman.
She spoke with astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins over the phone before the meal.
However, it turns out that issues with phone service may arise both on Earth and in outer space.
The conversation dropped as the station moved out of range while Harris was asking the astronauts what advice they would provide to kids interested in jobs in aerospace.
The reason for the silence, said to a NASA announcer, was that “we went out of range of our tracking and data relay satellite system.” Less than eight minutes were spent on the call.
Nevertheless, Harris, who identified herself as a “space geek,” was thrilled about the remote talk.
She said, “I am very happy to serve alongside you as vice president and as the leader of the Space Council.” “And as a space geek who happens to be American.”
Before it was interrupted, the talk centred on what the astronauts were discovering about Earth as they observed it from above.
During the National Space Council meeting on Friday. Harris will reveal a new alliance of businesses intended to broaden employment prospects in the space industry, particularly for those from historically underrepresented groups.
Work on the coaliton will begin in October 2022, and the leading aerospace firms Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman will serve as its cornerstones.
Amazon, Jacobs, L3Harris, Planet Labs PBC, Rocket Lab, Sierra Space, Space X, and Virgin Orbit are among the many businesses involved.
According to the White House, the group will support three pilot projects that will target ‘attracting, training, and creating employment opportunities, particularly for people from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM jobs’ in Florida’s Space Coast, southern California, and the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.
The Department of Education is also contributing $1.25 million to encourage STEM education.
STEM stands for the highly sought-after fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
The National Space Council is presided over by Vice President Harris, who identified herself as a “space geek.”
In May 2021, President Joe Biden appointed Harris to lead the National Space Council.
President George H.W. Bush issued an executive order to establish the council.
The group was effectively defunct under Bush until President Donald Trump reinstated it in 2017. When he was vice president, Mike Pence presided over it.
On space policy, the panel gives the president advice.
When Harris assumed office, her office said that she intended to prioritise climate change, STEM education, and workforce diversity.
The U.S. Space Force was also given a head start because to the council’s preparations.