Opinion
Opinion section includes op-eds, columns, commentaries and editorials on all things related to the global space business enterprise.
Op-ed | Reflections on the U.S. space program a half-century after Apollo 11
Indeed, we were witnessing “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Nevertheless, my maternal grandmother who lived with us and was born in Eastern Europe in 1890, exclaimed, “I don’t believe it and will never believe it.”
The Apollo 11 anniversary and why it is so important
Fifty years after Apollo 11, we are in a far better position, and so much closer, to return to the moon and send humans to Mars than we ever have been in the past. There are still many technical challenges to overcome, but the biggest challenge remains the political will to do so.
Op-ed | The Apollo program and the Chinese treasure fleets
During the decades since the cancellation of the Apollo program, some have used the Chinese treasure fleets of the early 1400s as a cautionary tale.
Op-ed | Apollo is a lesson in leadership that continues to inspire and educate
The story of the Apollo program, the many heroes in the headlines and those behind-the-scenes, the unprecedented crisis and tragedies that were overcome to fulfill a martyred President’s bold promise, is a story as compelling as any great novel or Greek myth.
Op-ed | Making the moon and Mars possible
History is now repeating itself. President Trump has declared he wants to send astronauts to the moon by 2024 and then Mars by 2033. But, in other words, NASA is saying to Trump the same thing it said to Bush: “You can’t do your program until you do my program.”
Op-ed | Why we’re not on the moon now (and how we can stay next time we go)
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first humans to walk on the moon, you might notice we aren’t celebrating it on the moon. Why?
Op-ed | The next space age
Twenty-five years after Apollo 11, Arthur C. Clarke outlined for SpaceNews an exploration vision marked by reusable launch vehicles and space elevators. This piece first appeared in our July 18-24, 1994 issue.
Op-ed | The omnipresence of space
The breadth of engagement in space continues to increase as new companies are formed to take advantage of the flexibility and affordability of cubesats and smallsats to use space in new ways.
Op-ed | What will be different next time we go to the moon
Half a century after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their first “small steps,” we’re going back with all the wonders of 21st century technology, but this time, things will be different.
Download your Apollo 11 at 50 special digital edition
As part of our monthlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, SpaceNews is proud to present this special digital edition.
Enabling true mobility: what does the next 40 years of connectivity hold in store?
I believe that the days are receding rapidly when we considered ourselves a niche and, from the perspective of the wider world, a somewhat invisible industry.
Op-ed | Graphene goes galactic
Graphene’s discovery in 2004 sparked the flame of endless possibility within the science and technology communities due to its astounding properties.
Foust Forward | Bursting the space bubble before it even inflates
One of the central beliefs of advocates of the growing commercial space industry is the concept of the trillion-dollar space economy. What if those numbers — both the current and future size of the space economy — are way too high?
Review: Chasing the Moon
If you’re curious about the people who made Apollo possible, "Chasing the Moon" is an engaging read.
Op-Ed | Commercial space activities offer boundless opportunities
Fifty years ago this summer, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the moon. Their “giant leap for mankind” was a venture that could only be accomplished with the might and funding of the U.S. government.
Op-ed | Trump’s most unhelpful moon tweet
Trump’s recent tweet will only sow confusion and complicate the already herculean task of building a permanent, manned American presence in the space beyond Earth orb
