CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Vice President Mike Pence told NASA's workforce Thursday that "space is vital" while speaking from inside Kennedy Space Center's best-known building, the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Pence made a stop at the space center Thursday after being named the chairman to the newly reassembled National Space Council.
The council was reestablished by executive order last week by President Donald Trump. It was first founded under President Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration and became dormant in 1993.
The group is made up of acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot, the secretaries of state, commerce, defense and other high-level officials.
“It will help ensure that all aspects of the nation’s space power -- national security, commerce, international relations, exploration and science -- are coordinated and aligned to best serve the American people,” Lightfoot said Friday in a statement released by NASA.
Air Force Two landed on the Space Shuttle Landing facility runway around 12:30 p.m. where Pence and Florida Sen.Marco Rubio were greeted by Kennedy Space Center Director and former astronaut Bob Cabana.
Pence then addressed hundreds of members of NASA's workforce from inside the VAB, which is being updated to host NASA's mega rocket, the Space Launch System.
Politicians and astronauts were also present for Pence's address, including moon walker Buzz Aldrin and Senators Rubio and Bill Neilson. Pence gave the former astronaut a shout out during his address.
Without mentioning direct plans for new policy, Pence said by using the "best of the best" that Americans can offer while combining government and commercial resources "America will lead in space again."
Pence called Trump a "champion" of the American space program and said he has a deep appreciation for the work at NASA.
"Welcome to a new era of leadership in space," Pence said to a round of applause.
Under the strong vision & leadership of @POTUS Trump, I know America will lead in space once again. #VPinFL https://t.co/68KGt1nJG2
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) July 6, 2017
On his next stop at the Space Center, Pence was brought inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building, where the Orion spacecraft is being assembled by Lockheed Martin. The space pod will be shipped out later this summer for testing at the company's facility in Colorado.
Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson and Cabana walked Pence and Rubio through the O & C building showing them parts of the spacecraft's heat shield.
Engineers in white clean suits worked behind the sanitized glass on parts of the spacecraft as Cabana lead the vice president along the clean bay.
"Hey don't steal my heat shield, bro" Sen. Rubio jokes around at the Operations and Checkout building where crew Orion is being assembled. pic.twitter.com/BiQBuIAfGh
— Emilee Speck (@EMSpeck) July 6, 2017
Pence said he plans to hold the first meeting of the reassembled National Space Council before the end of the summer.
See a recap below of the vice president's tour of the Kennedy Space Center.
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