Spacing out! Kamala tells astronauts on space station that she’s a ‘space nerd’… before line goes dead after they drift out of range

• Kamala Harris got cut off from her call with astronauts aboard the International Space Station when it orbited out of range
• The vice president described herself as a ‘space nerd’ 
• Harris is in Houston to lead meeting of National Space Council, which she chairs
• She announced new partnership to increase job opportunities in the space sector, notably for people from traditionally under-represented backgrounds
• NASA will partner with big-name companies Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman

‘Space nerd’ Kamala Harris on Friday got cut off from her call with astronauts aboard the International Space Station when it orbited out of range.

The vice president, who chairs the National Space Council, was in Houston to lead a meeting of the group.

Ahead of the sit-down, she held an earth-to-space call with astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins.

But it turns out phone service can be as much of a problem in outer space as well as on planet Earth.

As Harris was asking the astronauts what advice they’d give to students interested in careers in aerospace, the call went silent when the station moved out of range.

‘We passed out of range of our tracking and data relay satellite system,’ a NASA announcer explained of the silence. The call lasted under eight minutes.

Harris spoke to the astronauts via a black phone at the flight directors desk at Mission Control in Houston, Texas. 

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday got cut off from her call with astronauts aboard the International Space Station when it orbited out of range

Harris held an held an earth-to-space call with astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins

Still, Harris was excited about the long distance conversation, describing herself as a ‘space nerd.’

‘I am so excited to be with you as vice president and as the head of the Space Council,’ she said. ‘And as an American who is a space nerd.’

The conversation, before it got cut off, focused on what the astronauts were learning about earth as they studied it from above. 

Meanwhile, at Friday’s National Space Council meeting, Harris announced a new coalition of companies aimed at increasing job opportunities in the space sector, notably for people from traditionally under-represented backgrounds.

‘This coalition of companies will partner with our community colleges, with our technical schools and our unions to help workers learn the skills they need to take on the new jobs. that are being created in the space industry,’ she said. ‘And to help our nation, lead the way in space.’

The coaliton’s work will kick off in October 2022 and be anchored by several big-name aerospace companies: Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. 

Other companies joining the effort include Amazon, Jacobs, L3Harris, Planet Labs PBC, Rocket Lab, Sierra Space, Space X and Virgin Orbit. 

The group will support three pilot programs on Florida’s Space Coast, southern California and the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi that will focus on ‘attracting, training and creating employment opportunities particularly for people from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM jobs,’ the White House said. 

Additionally, the Department of Education is providing $1.25 million to provide STEM education support. STEM is an acronym for ‘science, technology, engineering, and mathematics’ skills that are in high demand.

Vice President Harris, who described herself as a ‘space nerd,’ chairs the National Space Council

Vice President Harris announced new partnership to increase job opportunities in the space sector, notably for people from traditionally under-represented backgrounds

President Joe Biden named Harris head of the National Space Council in May 2021. 

The council was created by executive order by President George H.W. Bush. After Bush, the council was essentially disbanded until President Donald Trump brought it back in 2017. Mike Pence chaired it when he was vice president. 

The group advises the president on space policy. 

When Harris took over, her office said she planned to focus on climate change, STEM education, and diversity in the workforce.

The council also laid the groundwork for the launch of the U.S. Space Force. 

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