Russia's Putin and China's Xi laugh at space cadet Kamala Harris

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Please keep Vice President Kamala Harris away from the Space Force. Instead of visiting America’s southern border or even Ukraine, Vice President Harris went home to California for a big speech at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Monday.

"Space is exciting!" Harris cooed in that faux-bright tone we use on 6-year-olds confronting broccoli at dinner. "It affects us all and it connects us all," she continued. Spoiler alert: it gets worse. 

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U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris listen as former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 5, 2022.  REUTERS/Leah Millis (REUTERS/Leah Millis)

With Space Force service members arrayed behind her for the big speech, Harris announced the U.S. would halt "destructive satellite tests," where your missile blows up your own, old satellite on orbit. "These tests are dangerous and we will not conduct them," said Harris. Then she called on all nations including China and Russia to join the ban. 

Here’s the kicker: the U.S. has no plans to blow up satellites. The only true American anti-satellite test took place in 1985. It was actually a pretty cool event, involving an Air Force F-15 fighter and a special missile. Then in 2008, the U.S. shot down a broken spy satellite, carefully timing the impact so the chunks would burn up in the atmosphere. 

But that’s it. That’s the whole U.S. record, two anti-satellite shots. For Harris to make a unilateral pledge, to stop something the U.S. wasn’t doing anyway, was bonkers. 

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during an event on the Affordable Care Act and lowering health care costs for families in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. President Biden announced additional actions to save families hundreds of dollars a month on their health care. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

Putin and Xi are laughing at her. China doesn’t do arms control. Besides, China has plans to dominate space. China responded on Tuesday by inviting all UN members to its space station and flooding party mouthpiece People’s Daily with pictures of the three Chinese astronauts who just returned to Earth on Apr. 13. 

As for Russia, I doubt responsible behavior in space is top of Putin’s priority list. Also, Russia blew up a satellite on orbit in Nov. 15, 2021. 

Trying to make Harris into an international space diplomat is another sign of the White House in foreign policy free fall. 

All she’s done is infuriate members of Congress who are experts in space policy.  Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado called the policy move by Harris "completely unnecessary," while Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama said it "does nothing to deter our adversaries." 

Vice President Kamala Harris, center, standing with Thomas Elementary School principal Jaimee Trahan, left, and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, right, talks with the students during a visit to Thomas Elementary School in Washington, Monday, April 4, 2022. During her visit, Harris announced plans to upgrade public schools with clean energy efficient facilities and transportation. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

One more point on her speaking style. The Joint Space Operations Center, where Harris visited, is an incredible command center where U.S. space forces and allies watch and track our satellites and keep an eye on the 29,000 pieces of space junk and nearly 2,700 satellites flown by many countries. They call it the J-Spock. I don’t know why, but she sounded like she was talking down to those professionals. 

Makes you wonder if this was just a political move by her staff. Harris as Vice President heads the National Space Council. She’s sort of the top dog for U.S. space policy. The White House fact sheet for her big speech claimed that "meaningfully reducing ASAT testing and debris generation advances U.S. national security." Yet the attempt to give Harris credibility fizzled because of the flimsy policy position. 

FILE - In this May 15, 2020, file photo, Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman displays his insignia during a presentation of the United States Space Force flag in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) ((AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File))

Space is a big deal. Losing the Global Positioning Satellites run by the U.S. Air Force would cost Americans at least $1 billion per day. I’m vehemently opposed to orbital debris and so is the Space Force. In fact, they are launching bigger constellations of smaller satellites so the whole network won’t go down if one satellite is hit – accidentally or on purpose.

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Sadly, Russia and China just don’t care. Russia spewed 1,500 pieces of space junk into orbit back in the November direct ascent shot, joining China’s 2,800 pieces from back in 2007. Both nations have other weapons, like China’s ground-based laser zapper. They can also pull nasty on-orbit tricks, like deliberate collisions that bump satellites out of orbit or damage sensitive optics and antennae. 

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Russia and China pose a real threat to the U.S. in space. There’s not a chance Harris will change their minds.

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