Capitalizing on Benefits of Private Space Missions
June 6, 2024
In two recent firsts, Boeing’s Starliner rocket carried two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, and SpaceX completed a full test flight of its powerful new Starship rocket. The events reflect what Bhavya Lal calls in Issues “the profound shift underway in the US space enterprise: the privatization of functions previously considered inherently governmental.” This transformation, she argues, will provide costs savings to the nation and drive greater innovation that “may ultimately push the boundaries of the art-of-the-possible and expand the human footprint in space.”