Opinion
Opinion section includes op-eds, columns, commentaries and editorials on all things related to the global space business enterprise.
Op-ed | DoD weather capabilities have lagged; Space Force can turn that around
CNAS senior fellow Sarah Mineiro warns U.S. service members are at risk of losing the most up-to-date knowledge of weather conditions.
Op-ed | Representing the private astronaut is a new step for human spaceflight — and for space lawyers
In addition to adding a new dimension for space travel, several future missions create new challenges and opportunities for space lawyers — representing private astronauts.
Book excerpt | Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX
"The seeds for everything SpaceX has grown into today were planted during the early days of the Falcon 1 program," journalist Eric Berger writes in his forthcoming book, Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX.
Op-ed | Why the National Space Council matters
President Biden should reestablish the National Space Council. Doing so would keep space issues on the radar of our nation’s highest officials and encourage the coordination necessary to solve problems that cut across multiple federal agencies.
On National Security | Biden’s declaration of support puts Space Force on firmer ground
The Space Force, NASA and executives in the space industry breathed a collective sigh of relief earlier this month when the Biden administration finally provided some answers to lingering questions about its support for military and civilian space activities.
Op-ed | Space initiatives in Africa offer a canvas of opportunity
More than ever before, the promise and potential in space is available to those with the ambition to reach for it. Nowhere is this story more exciting and compelling than in Africa.
Op-ed | Don’t call it a bubble, more investment in space launch is a good thing
The notion that we now have “enough” launch providers and therefore the government should direct private investors elsewhere is misguided.
Letter | Fostering open architecture and partnership on space-based missile warning
Kay Sears: To succeed against our adversaries, we believe that working together —government and industry — will help solve our nation’s toughest challenges.
Op-ed | Space weather bill will fizzle without funding
The PROSWIFT Act is a major step forward in developing a coordinated national space weather plan. But fully realizing the act's objectives will require a commensurate appropriation of funds to ensure the necessary advances in our understanding of the sun.
Op-ed | In defense of regulation
Steve Blank’s op-ed of Feb. 5, “The FAA and SpaceX,” demands an informed rebuttal. It lacks grounding in the history and nature of private space activity regulation and he erroneously conflates that mission with the FAA's primary task of regulating the safest transportation system in human history.
Op-ed | The FAA and SpaceX
At first glance the FAA/SpaceX dust-up over Starship might look like a rich entrepreneur breaking the rules versus a federal agency trying to keep the public safe. It's actually an example of a government organization — the FAA — unable to distinguish between innovation and execution.
Op-ed | How to convince China and Russia to join a space traffic management program for peace and prosperity
The United States should take the lead in initiating a dual-track approach to developing both a Western and an International space traffic management regime in order to prevent China and Russia from normalizing potent anti-satellite capabilities in the name of debris-removal.
Op-ed | For China, space is both substance and symbol
China’s steady persistent efforts have allowed it to build a firm foundation from which to compete with the United States.
Op-ed | Is public capital ready to help fuel the private space economy?
The urge for exploration and human curiosity combined with an enthusiasm for space will create a large market of public space investors, helping provide the capital fuel for an innovative and growing private space industry.
On National Security | Defense contractors forced into uneasy role in wake of Capitol riot
As the fallout from the Jan. 6 deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol continues, the crisis has forced a reckoning of sorts in a sector of American industry that typically steers clear of political controversy.
Foust Forward | “Pro-space” lawmakers on wrong side of history after Capitol riot
The uncomfortable truth now facing the space community, in the days after the horrific events at the Capitol Jan. 6, is that some of the most prominent Republican supporters of space in Congress are on the wrong side of history.
