Can private companies go to space?

Yes, but: While private spaceflight is opening the door to space for many more people, it’s possible one gatekeeper is being traded for another. Instead of governments deciding who gets to go to space, companies and billionaires who have contracts with them could make those decisions in the future.

How much does the government spend on space exploration?

Global government space spending fell 1.2\% in 2020 to $90.2 billion from a revised 2019 peak of $91.4 billion. Nearly 58\% of this total was allocated to space activities by the U.S.

When did private space exploration become legal?

Nonetheless, until 2004 NASA kept private space flight effectively illegal. But that year, the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 required that NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration legalise private space flight.

Does the government own NASA?

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; /ˈnæsə/) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.

Should the government hand over space exploration to the private sector?

The objective isn’t to hand over space exploration to the private sector. The objective is to expand upon the utilization of space by finding opportunities where the private sector could benefit. The role of government in space exploration is to do the things that the market can’t support, but the people agree are beneficial.

What is the role of the government in the space industry?

The commercial space industry is in a similar early state, today. The government has needs the private sector can fulfill and through those needs is subsidizing the research and development those private entities need to do to develop their technologies to the point where they can affordably meet the appetites of a market.

Should NASA rely on private industry to provide low Earth orbit?

Both of these companies have already completed numerous such flights. Both Hubbard and Stallmer said that NASA wins by relying on private industry to provide such services in low Earth orbit. Hubbard argued that this strategy allows the space agency to continue “exploring the fringe where there really is no business case.”

How can we make space exploration more sustainable?

“And I think using the way in which the private sector has demonstrated they can reduce costs, through more nearly assembly-line production techniques, is really critical to sustainable space exploration in the future.” Phil McAlister, director of commercial spaceflight at NASA, also advocated these public-private partnerships.