Market Analysis: News
(Space Calendar) 2 FAA Meetings Highlight Enhanced Role Of Commercial Space In USA Space Policy
"USA commercial space companies stand to play an increasingly important role with the revision of the America space policy. Along with cancelling the Constellation program, President Obama's proposed direction for NASA provides US$6B over 5 years in support of commercially built spaceships to transport NASA astronauts to the ISS. This new plan brings added importance to 2 events this week sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A public meeting will be held in Washington DC on February 9 to discuss the plan to establish a new FAA Center of Excellence (COE) for Commercial Space Transportation (CST). The meeting will include a discussion on the COE Program and CST technical requirements. On Feb 10-11, the FAA Office for Commercial Space Transportation and AIAA will host the '13th FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference' in Arlington VA. Policy makers and technical experts will come together to share insights and discuss developments in the field, while focusing on the theme 'Igniting the Space Economy.' Keynote speakers include FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt (BL) and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (BR). (Credit: AIAA, FAA, SpaceX, NASA)"
The Real Problem With Commercializing Space
The author, notes on his blog post, that he has spent most of the last 10-15 years working in various parts of the space industry, including five recent years as a contract employee to NASA. This older article is a classic criticism of commercial space and even in this time of greater optimism for this developing market, it is worth reading as a cautionary viewpoint based on insider experience.