Posted on 05/26/2018 6:10:26 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The future for American commercial space activity is bright. Space entrepreneurs are already planning travel to Mars, and they are looking to the moon as the perfect location for a way station to refuel and restock Mars-bound rockets. As much as this sounds like the plot of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” it is coming closer to reality sooner than you may have ever thought possible.
A privately funded American space industry is the reason. This industry is making progress in leaps and bounds. The global space economy is approaching $350 billion and is expected to become a multitrillion-dollar industry. There are more than 800 operational American satellites in orbit, and by 2024 that number could exceed 15,000. Thanks to public-private partnerships, for the first time in seven years American rockets will soon carry NASA astronauts into space. Long dormant, Cape Canaveral is now bustling with activity. America is leading in space once again.
Space tourism may only be a year away. Tickets for human flights into lower earth orbit have already sold for $250,000 each. Earth-based mining companies may soon face stiff competition from the mining of gold, silver, platinum and rare earths on asteroids and even other planets. A race is already developing to create the technology that will bring those crucial resources back to earth.
Competition is already fierce, with Russia and China challenging the United States for leadership, and about 70 other countries working their way into space. But today’s space race is different. It is driven by innovative companies that are finding new solutions to get to space faster, cheaper and more effectively.
As these companies advance new ideas for space commerce and nontraditional approaches to space travel, they seek the legitimacy and stability that comes with government support and approval. They yearn for a government that acts as a facilitator, not just a regulator. Government must create frameworks that enable, rather than stifle, industry.
Unfortunately, our system for regulating private space exploration and commerce has not kept up with this rapidly changing industry. For example, when it comes to licensing cameras in space, we review small, high school science-project satellites the same as billion-dollar national defense assets, leaving too little time and too few resources for crucial national security needs.
On Thursday, President Trump signed Space Policy Directive 2, which will make important strides toward modernizing our outdated space policies. These changes include creating a new office, the Space Policy Advancing Commercial Enterprise Administration, within my office to oversee coordination of the department’s commercial space activities, establishing a “one-stop shop” to work on behalf of the budding private space sector.
This will be a major change. At my department alone, there are six bureaus involved in the space industry. A unified departmental office for business needs will enable better coordination of space-related activities. To this end, I have directed all Commerce Department bureaus with space responsibilities to assign a liaison to the new Space Administration team, including the International Trade Administration, Bureau of Industry and Security, National Telecommunications and Information Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
When companies seek guidance on launching satellites, the Space Administration will be able to address an array of space activities, including remote sensing, economic development, data-purchase policies, GPS, spectrum policy, trade promotion, standards and technology and space-traffic management. The new office will also enable the department to manage its growing responsibilities in space.
The department will take on a greater role when it comes to regulation and promotion of space activity. But as the agency charged with promoting job creation and economic growth, we will not engage only in oversight, but will support American companies so they can compete and lead on a level playing field.
Collectively, these efforts will unshackle American industry and ensure American leadership in space. This is essential to technological innovation, economic growth, jobs and national security. But, perhaps more important, it is rejuvenating the American passion for space exploration.
I can still remember when President John F. Kennedy declared that America would put a man on the moon and when Neil Armstrong took that first step on the lunar landscape. Glued to televisions, Americans were filled with excitement and national pride during the Apollo missions.
Last month I felt that same passion as I visited the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs with Vice President Mike Pence. “As we push human exploration deeper into space, we will unleash the boundless potential of America’s pioneering commercial space companies,” the vice president told the crowd.
This is a very special time in space history — there is a convergence of technology, capital, and political will. The United States must seize this moment.
We are not a virus. We are the pinnacle of the animal life on Earth. The rest of the animals deficate everywhere and eat each other raw.
I think the real thing that will help America win is fracking. If you frack about 10 meters down, and spray a polymer, you can create an airtight living space that block all those nasty cosmic rays and solar flares.
You mean they know about Dahak?
Here is the important question. Will the restrooms on the moon have restrooms for men, women, and transgender? This is a vital issue and needs to be addressed before we go lunar. Can you imagine how insulted the rest of the galaxy will be if we forget about intergalactic transgender restrooms ?
Blame Fred Freiberger - series killer.
This is absolutely true and we/mankind would be perfect if it wasn’t for the dust off of uranius. Screwed by the cosmos again.
The corporate “idea guys” aren’t necessarily in love with the idea of what the hype suggests, they’re in love with the idea that everyone else who matter$ to them falls in love with the idea.
Did you hear about the new restaurant on the moon? The food is good but there is no atmosphere.
.....”A privately funded American space industry is the reason. This industry is making progress in leaps and bounds”......
Absolutely...Newt spoke on this at Heritage this past week....they’re working on launching huge payloads to colonize the moon later mars.. that young kids today will see actually happening!
Speak for yourself.
But in reality he was the child of transported convicts.
Send auntie Maxi ...
They like a return on their investment."
You sir, and I say this with all possible respect, are a shortsighted fool.
I guess you missed this part:
Earth-based mining companies may soon face stiff competition from the mining of gold, silver, platinum and rare earths on asteroids and even other planets.http://fortune.com/2015/07/20/asteroid-precious-metals/
From that article:
The space rock, which is roughly half a kilometer long, might contain anywhere between $300 billion to more than $5 trillion in precious metalsThat is aside from the fact that many candidate asteroids contain more iron than mined in human history. That iron is also already outside Earth's gravity well, which vastly increases its value.
We are on the verge of having essentially unlimited energy at our disposal, and we have plenty now to get started. Once space exploration/exploitation really takes off, the sky is literally the limit.
Luddites and defenders of buggy whip factories…yet they use technology to spread their manure.
Anybody watch “The Expanse”??
This is like the beginnings. Earthers vs. Mars vs Belters.
Let it be.
Colony means going there to live, breed, expand. That is colossal stupidity. Man is not optimized for life on the Moon. Furthermore, it is wrong to bring babies into life on the Moon with the expectation that they will live there for the rest of their lives. You do not have the right to forcibly remove a human from his natural habitat and put him in one that is unnatural for him.
On the other hand, we could just unshackle American industry.
LOL!
I spent 45 years in aerospace.
You have no idea of the cost and complexity of asteroid mining, especially if it were to be conducted from a moon base, which is also prohibitively expensive.
And, if you think for a moment, that these would be manned operations, you sir have assigned your own state of reason.
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