Private Sector is the Future of Space Exploration

By Preston Cooper

Courtesy of NASA

Yesterday, a remarkable advance occurred for the technological universe of mankind: a private company docked a spacecraft at the International Space Station. Called SpaceX, the company was commissioned by NASA to run supplies to the orbiting spaceport, instead of putting them aboard Russian rockets as it has done ever since the demise of the Space Shuttle.

Every child born in the Space Age is probably wondering what happened to the missions to Mars. Why aren't we flying to the moons of Jupiter? Why haven't we built a base on the moon?

The technological advances we've made in the last few decades have all been in this world. Indeed, the technology that defines the current era is not of the extraterrestrial sort, but works to improve our lives here on Earth. The internet, smartphones, and other communications technologies are the most sophisticated innovations that have a direct bearing on our lives here in America. And who would have thought, even ten years ago, that an internet access point, a music library, and a gaming center could all fit into a cell phone?

One of the reasons that communications technology has been such a success, while space travel has largely stalled over the last few decades, is that communications technology originated in the private sector. There are other factors at play, of course, but being developed by companies rather than government bureaucracy is a big leg up. Private companies compete to employ the best and the brightest minds, and tailor their products specifically to the general public. After all, if you don't make a sellable product, you're out of business.

There are many ways that a private company can turn a profit off space travel. Governments, other companies, or academic institutions may contract them to ferry supplies into space or conduct research in space. Private companies may also sell seats on commercial flights in and out of the cosmos; Virgin Airlines recently announced plans to create a new division, Virgin Galactic, that flies beyond our atmosphere.

NASA, while working towards an admirable goal, does not have the same drive to create an end product that will captivate the heart of the American public. They are above all else a government agency, and the invisible hand is not at play. That's why SpaceX's mission to the ISS is such a remarkable accomplishment. Perhaps, with private companies at the helm, space travel can reinvigorate the American imagination.