"The President's National Space Policy challenges us to think differently about the space domain," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. "The Department of Energy and its 17 National Laboratories have an accomplished history in supporting the United States' space ventures, and we stand ready to be an essential source for the science, technology, and engineering solutions needed for advancing American leadership in space."
For 60 years, the Department of Energy (DOE) has been a key player in U.S. space activities and will continue that role in support of America's leadership in space. The Department's mission - to address America's energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology (S&T) solutions - contributes to the goals of this National Space Policy: powering space exploration, driving innovation in space science research to achieve breakthroughs in space-applicable technology, supporting space-related U.S. national security interests in the space domain, and enabling the safe, secure, productive, and profitable development of the U.S. commercial space industry.
DOE is actively taking steps to improve its support and contributions to the National Space Policy goals and principles. DOE has increased its communication with NASA, the U.S. Space Force, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Commerce and is developing internal strategies to better align the activities of its enterprise with the needs of the U.S. space community. The DOE complex of National Laboratories, plants, and sites will also apply its multidisciplinary S&T workforce and unique instruments and facilities to address the types of large scale, complex research and development challenges inherent in the new U.S. space policies.