Until recently, launching satellites into space was an expensive and infrequent undertaking, dominated by defense contractors and their chronic cost overruns. Manned space launches were rare and hugely expensive. And for over a decade we were dependent on the Russians to ferry American astronauts to the International Space Station.
But today, satellites are being launched almost weekly, sometimes more, and humans are again being ferried to the International Space Station on US rockets, at fixed prices that are significantly lower than before. What has changed?
Several factors, including the enormous growth of the tech sector and associated innovation from the tech boom of the last several decades, which converged with an unusually accommodating stance toward private sector innovation by Congress and presidential administrations. Now, the genius of American entrepreneurship and competition are at the forefront, and the former defense contractor model is on the defensive.
Innovation is happening far faster by private space companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, RocketLab and Virgin Galactic than NASA ever demonstrated, proving that the private sector does it better, faster and cheaper than government.
Please join IPI on March 11 for a policy briefing on private space competition with our new Research Fellow, Dan Garretson. Dan has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics from Harvard University, has consulted with federal agencies on space policy, and is a committed proponent of limited government. Dan runs the Bastiat Society program in Dallas, and is going to be a terrific resource to the policy world on technology policy.
Thursday, March 11 , 2021
1:00 PM CENTRAL (2:00 PM Eastern)
For additional information or questions please contact
Addie Crimmins at addie@ipi.org or 512.787.8102