[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help] 

Status: Not Logged In; Sign In

Did Iranian ballistic missiles hit the Dimona nuclear reactor.

Rep. Green Letter to DoD IG Demands Answers On K2 Base Toxins

“Israel is DESTROYING itself by attacking IRAN and millions could die” Col. Douglas Macgregor

How Boeing 787 Whistleblower's Disaster Warning Was Ignored |

Israel Says Another Missile Barrage Launched From Iran Overnight, Casualties Rise

2025 Annotated Bilderberg Members List

Major Iranian Missile Impacts On Israel; IAEA Warns Radioactive Contamination Observed At Natanz

Israeli Strikes On Iran Ongoing Through Friday As Death Toll Surpasses 100

From Torah to trauma: A Satanic child abuse scandal blows up in Israel

MAGA Influencer Calls to Deploy Palantir on LA Streets

Egypt detains nearly 200 foreigners who flew in to join Gaza march

FLASHBACK - How Mayor Daley dealt with looters!

Scammers Use AI Bots to Impersonate Students, Stealing Millions in Financial Aid

Bilderberg 2025 begins. Global elites gather in Stockholm. AI, migration, and national security dominate

I Wish We All Could Leave California (Beach Boys Parody)

Exclusive: US slams UN conference on Israel-Palestinian issue, warns of consequences

Brilliant & Critical Insight!

Legal Immigrants Shift to GOP on Immigration, Shows 40-Point Swing from Democrats

American fuel tankers were spotted REFUELING ISRAELI JETS over Syria.

Does Western Civilization Have Enough Belief to Continue to Exist?

Trump CLEARLY KNEW of Israel's Plan To STRIKE IRAN

Trump Warns 'Even More Brutal' Attacks Coming Without Nuclear Deal

10 Supplements That Fight Inflammation

CNN Security Analyst Defends Agents Who Removed Senator Padilla From Kristi Noem Presser

Florida sheriff warns rioters: 'We will kill you graveyard dead'

DEMOCRATS' NIGHTMARE: Viral Video Shows Why They LOST The Election!

Israeli strikes on Iran. Five Waves. Might last 2 weeks?

Images Emerge Of Tehran Destruction After Major Israeli 'Preemptive Attack'

This Is What Happens Next After Israel Bombs Iran’s Nuclear Facilities…

Smartmatic accused of deleting evidence in 27 Billion Fox News Defamation Case Court Docs


Science/Tech
See other Science/Tech Articles

Title: Elon Musk Is Meeting Secretly With China and Russia. It's Time for Congress to Rein Him In | Opinion
Source: Newsweek
URL Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech ... 5ba14a168cfc5b7a389ecff1&ei=18
Published: Jan 9, 2025
Author: Nick Lampson
Post Date: 2025-01-09 18:50:19 by BTP Holdings
Keywords: None
Views: 320
Comments: 2

Elon Musk Is Meeting Secretly With China and Russia. It's Time for Congress to Rein Him In | Opinion

Opinion by Nick Lampson • 9 January 2025

The United States Air Force, Department of Defense, and other agencies are investigating Elon Musk and SpaceX for allegedly failing to disclose meetings with adversarial foreign leaders as required by federal law.

This is absolutely inexcusable. Musk's SpaceX has handled nearly 80 percent of U.S. government sponsored rocket launches this year, including critical national security missions. Yet Musk has reportedly met with China and Russia's top leaders numerous times; the Wall Street Journal reported that Vladimir Putin explicitly asked Musk to help Xi Jinping, the chairman of China's Central Military Commission, with a political matter. These communications may present a concern for the U.S. because China and Russia are America's top space rivals, and they are working together to challenge America's space dominance.

Congress and the Space Force should quickly address this matter by swiftly passing and implementing new legislation that mandates stronger vetting and divestment requirements

Space is no longer a nonthreatening environment that is merely for exploration and scientific discovery; it is a contested domain where the stakes are high. Satellites underpin global communications, navigation, and military operations, while control of lunar resources could be what determines economic dominance in short order. Gaps in security and oversight would allow America's adversaries to exploit vulnerabilities in what might be the top warfighting domain of the future.

Together, China and Russia pose a formidable challenge to the U.S.' leading role in space. These countries' cooperation is a marker of a coordinated campaign to erode American influence in orbit and in the broader geopolitical arena. The two nations are collaborating on everything from planned moon missions to space stations to advanced satellite technology. They are also working together on a joint lunar research station to rival the U.S.-led Artemis program.

Musk's meetings with Chinese and Russia officials may have been innocuous, but if so, that raises the question: Why didn't he report them as required?

And even if they were innocuous, they still speak to the systemic vulnerabilities that the United States faces because of its failure to mandate that its contractors remain clear of ties with adversarial foreign nations.

Elon Musk listens as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump addresses a House Republicans Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
© Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

It is Congress' role to set boundaries that keep America's defense programs safe, sharp, and secure. The creation of national security- minded oversight mechanisms on the U.S. space program cannot be outsourced. It is in this area that legislative action, such as the SPACE Act, previously introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, would prove useful. The SPACE Act would have banned U.S. space contractors operating on government contracts from maintaining links with China and Russia. Though the legislation never received a floor vote, its premise is particularly relevant today and is worthy of re-consideration in the next Congress.

By codifying restrictions and introducing strict, detailed vetting processes of space contractors, Congress can set boundaries that protect America's defense interests. It can and should also stipulate regular audits and increased reporting to ensure transparency and accountability.

Imposing guidelines and oversight mechanisms on U.S. space contractors will help to ensure that they work within the bounds of the U.S.' strategic framework. This will benefit not only America's national security but also the long-term future of the private space industry— because the more the government can rely upon private firms, the more growth they will experience.

If SpaceX and other contractors prove unwilling to comply with these requirements, then Congress, NASA, and the Space Force should look elsewhere for their space procurement needs. That is what two members of the U.S. Senate's Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees would already like the Air Force to do, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall already declaring that he understands their concerns.

Winning the space race is far more important than remaining committed to any one contractor. U.S. decision makers should do what needs to be done without delay.

Nick Lampson, a former member of Congress from Texas, is a former Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee on the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.


Poster Comment:

Elon needs a slap on the wrist.

Post Comment   Private Reply   Ignore Thread  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest

#1. To: BTP Holdings (#0)

It is Congress' role to set boundaries that keep America's defense programs safe, sharp, and secure.

And What Have they Done about the God Damn BORDER for 3 FUKN YEARS?

FUK U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ricky  posted on  2025-01-10   0:55:58 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: BTP Holdings (#0)

Musk is probably doing better than the Obama and Biden admins with respect to foreign policy. And he is doing better than NASA at building rockets. Biden spent $42 billion on the Internet for the poor but did not connect anyone. And how many billions did he spend on EV charging stations?

Congress is worthless. They let more than $20 trillion go missing from federal spending.

The Truth of 911 Shall Set You Free From The Lie

Horse  posted on  2025-01-10   1:54:52 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


TopPage UpFull ThreadPage DownBottom/Latest


[Home]  [Headlines]  [Latest Articles]  [Latest Comments]  [Post]  [Sign-in]  [Mail]  [Setup]  [Help]