VPOTUS told the IAC you gotta be friends with the U.S. or you ain't getting a ride to the Moon and Mars.

Apparently there were no GLPers in attendance because no mention is found in the following SpaceNews.com article of anyone yelling, "VanHalen belt, HELLOOOO! The Apollo missions were fake news!"

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Pence calls for American-led cooperation in space exploration
by Jeff Foust — October 21, 2019

(SpaceNews.com) - “Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, America is leading in space once again,” Pence said, a theme he returned to several times in a speech that lasted under 20 minutes. “He believes, as I do, that’s it’s America’s destiny to be the leader amongst nations in our adventure into the great unknown.”

Pence, though, said that the United States was willing to cooperate with other nations in space exploration. “The United States of America will always be willing to work closely with like-minded freedom-loving nations as we lead mankind into the final frontier,” he said.

He cited as examples of that interest by several nations in cooperation on the NASA-led Artemis program, including Australia and Canada. Last week, the Japanese government announced its intent to work with the U.S. on both the lunar Gateway and lunar landing missions.

Pence repeated the theme of working with “freedom-loving” countries and a favorable regulatory environment. “As more nations gain the ability to explore space and develop places beyond Earth’s atmosphere, we much also ensure that we carry into space our shared commitment to freedom, rule of law and private property,” he said. “We will use all legal and diplomatic means to create a stable and orderly space environment that drives opportunity, creates prosperity and ensures our security on Earth.”

Pence’s American-centric comments got a lukewarm reaction at times from a diverse international audience. A handful of people also walked out at the beginning of his speech, protesting his views on social issues...

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