Defense and national security

Executive Order 13803: Reviving the National Space Council

President: Donald J. Trump

Re-established the National Space Council to advise the President and coordinate civil, commercial and national-security space policy.

Status: Revoked. Is Executive Order 13803 still in effect? No. EO 14056, December 1, 2021, section 7(d), expressly superseded and revoked EO 13803 and its 2020 amendment, EO 13906. EO 14369, December 18, 2025, section 4(a), later revoked EO 14056 but did not expressly restore the 2017 charter.

What does Executive Order 13803 do?

EO 13803 revived the National Space Council, chaired by the Vice President, with agency heads as members. EO 13906 amended the council charter in 2020; EO 14056 later superseded and revoked EO 13803 while establishing a revised council.

Administration position: Any policy rationale or projected benefit in the order is the administration’s position. This index record does not treat those claims as independently established facts.

The 2020 change matters when reading the old reporting requirements. EO 13906 expanded the membership list to include the Energy Secretary and the President’s economic and domestic policy assistants. It also removed the first sentence of section 4(c), which required quarterly reports by the chair. That amendment did not itself remove section 8’s separate annual Council report. Both instruments were subsequently revoked by the replacement charter in 2021. EO 13906, sections 1–2; EO 14056, section 7(d).

The 2021 replacement kept a Vice President-chaired Council with at least annual meetings, but specified a broader membership and a different administrative framework, including legal advice from both presidential and vice-presidential counsel. The 2025 revocation is a further change in that chain, not wording that expressly reinstates EO 13803. These are charter changes; they do not by themselves establish whether a particular launch, procurement or report was completed. EO 14056, sections 2–3 and 7; EO 14369, section 4(a).

SignedJune 30, 2017
IssuerPresident Donald J. Trump
TermFirst presidential term
National Space Council charter chain from EO 13803 through its amendment, replacement and later revocation
Original source-based diagram. Revocation of the replacement order is not an express reinstatement of the 2017 charter. EO 13906, section 2; EO 14056, section 7(d); EO 14369, section 4(a).

Before and after

Before the order

The National Space Council was inactive before the 2017 charter revived it.

After the order

The order re-established a Vice President-chaired council. EO 13906 amended the charter in 2020, and EO 14056 superseded and revoked it in 2021.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Vice President / Council chairAdvise the President, organize Council business and report its activities.Section 4: quarterly reports originally; EO 13906 removed that requirement in 2020.
National Space CouncilCoordinate space policy, work with the National Security Council and convene the Users’ Advisory Group.Sections 3, 5–6, 8: meet at least annually; first Council report within one year, annually thereafter.
Council-represented agenciesSupply requested space-activity information and lawful resources.Sections 5(a), 7(b)–(c): on request, within existing appropriations.
Heads of agencies conducting space activitiesAlign activities with presidential space policy.Section 5(b): as law permits; no separate numerical deadline.
Civilian Executive SecretaryHead the Council staff; support invitations and resource requests under chair direction.Sections 3(e), 4(e), 7: President-appointed; no appointment deadline.
EOP Office of AdministrationProvide reimbursable administrative support.Section 7(a)(i): ongoing support; no numerical deadline.
Office of the Counsel to the PresidentProvide the Council’s legal advice exclusively.Section 7(a)(ii): original 2017 arrangement.
Users’ Advisory GroupReport and advise solely to the Council, without member compensation.Section 6: no numerical reporting deadline; travel subject to law and funds.

The table distinguishes the original charter’s collective agency duties from its Council and chair reporting clocks. Membership did not give every member a separate quarterly report to write. EO 13803, sections 2–8.

What happened next

Executive Order 13803 signed.

The Federal Register published the June 30 order. Signing and publication are different dates. Signed source.

EO 13906 amended Council membership and removed the chair’s quarterly-report requirement; it did not delete section 8’s annual Council report. Signed source.

EO 14056 replaced the charter and expressly revoked EO 13803 and EO 13906 in section 7(d). Signed source.

EO 14369 revoked EO 14056 in section 4(a). The signed text does not expressly revive EO 13803 or EO 13906. Signed source.