Opinion
Opinion section includes op-eds, columns, commentaries and editorials on all things related to the global space business enterprise.
Analysis: China, Europe pulling ahead of U.S. in commercial satellite imaging
U.S. satellite imaging capabilities historically have been the best in the world. Today, they are not just losing ground but they are officially behind those of other nations.
Op-ed | Why a digital culture is an imperative for the U.S. Space Force
Beyond the imperative for change, aspiring to be a digital service is a natural fit for the Space Force. Activities in outer space have always been technologically demanding and technology driven.
Op-ed | Making space for ESG
Providing increasingly valuable data and monitoring for Earth-based environmental sustainability efforts is contingent on the long-term utilization of space and, consequently, the sustainability of the space environment itself.
Op-ed | Damage to Canadarm2 on ISS once again highlights space debris problem
As orbits around Earth get more and more crowded, the recent damage to the International Space Station's Canadarm2 opens up debate around what we are doing about orbital debris and space traffic management.
Uncovering the Hidden Arctic
The Arctic. Bitterly cold and crossed by blinding storms. Shrouded in darkness half the year.
Op-ed | Honor Our Fallen Space Pioneers This Memorial Day
This Memorial Day, as we remember American servicemen and women who gave their lives for their country, we should also recognize another group of patriots who also paid the ultimate price in service to the nation — our fallen astronauts.
Op-ed | Artemis 2026: Celebrating America’s 250th with the next humans on the moon
President Biden and Congress should commit to setting 2026 as the year that the United States returns humanity to the moon. What better way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence?
Connecting the Dots | The growing market for weather bets
Improvements in satellite weather data collection and analysis are helping financial investors place better bets on the companies they gamble on.
Op-ed | America’s future in space is nuclear
Today, we have a unique opportunity to make the entire solar system — including the strategically vital region of space surrounding the Earth and the moon — more accessible.
Op-ed | Arming warfighters with advanced weather systems: What must happen next
The long-term solution to permanently replacing DMSP cannot be an experiment. Our warfighters need a long-term, high-fidelity weather information solution, which is the most alarming disadvantage to cubesat constellations.
Op-ed | Multiple Providers Limit Risk in Returning to the Moon
Awarding HLS to a single provider, SpaceX, was in contravention to the agency's long-stated strategy for the Artemis program: to work with multiple companies so NASA avoid the costly delays and suspensions that have plagued the ambitious programs of the agency's past.
Op-ed | Beijing’s Troubling Space Ambitions
China will follow a policy of might-makes-right in the solar system to bend the world to Beijing’s will. Fortunately, the United States can still stop Beijing from seizing exclusive control over space resources if Washington takes action now.
Op-ed | India at the Inflection Point: A New Era in the Space Ecosystem
There remain significant obstacles for India to realize its full potential, but there is reason to think the country is on the cusp of overcoming them and entering a new era in its long history in space.
Op-ed | The World Below: The need for free and open data in Earth observation activities
The evolving quality and quantity of Earth observation data enables an ever-increasingly profound knowledge of the climate crisis, enhancing the efficacy of mitigation strategies as well as the management of risk and natural or human-made disasters.
Op-ed | Getting Serious About the Office of Space Commerce
After three years of an active push to increase the role of the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) in promoting and enabling commercial space activities, that vision is beginning to revert to the way things used to be. Immediate intervention is needed by the new leadership at the Department of Commerce to prevent a complete loss of progress and yet another delay in reshaping U.S. efforts to support and leverage the burgeoning commercial space sector.
Op-ed | Big Data gaining ground with Earth Observation operators
Big Data is boosting Earth Observation demand, creating new applications and changing traditional business models. As a disruptive innovation, it keeps changing the way EO data is being used.
