Opinion
Opinion section includes op-eds, columns, commentaries and editorials on all things related to the global space business enterprise.
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.
Op-ed | Not all space capabilities should reside in Space Force
Opinion: The decision the Joint Chiefs reach in the next year will be as seminal for the future development of military space as any except the actual creation of Space Force.
Foust Forward | A tale of two launch vehicle programs
There was no clearer set of contrasts between how SpaceX and NASA approach launch vehicle development than the dueling tests the two performed in early December of Starship and Space Launch System, respectively.
On National Security | Space acquisition reform awaits Biden’s Pentagon team
Satisfying congressional demands for a revamped space acquisition process will now fall on President-elect Joe Biden’s Pentagon team.
Op-ed | Building on the Artemis Accords to address space sustainability
It’s past time for a multilateral agreement on the principles governing space traffic management and sustainability, writes Jennifer A. Manner.
Op-ed | Protecting our assets from space debris
On Nov. 2, the United States and its International Space Station partner nations celebrated 20 years of humans continuously living and working in outer space. Much has changed in the space environment over the past two decades, but one thing is cl…
Op-ed | Space commerce accelerating
"The space economy is accelerating," writes U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "Over 80% of the rapidly growing $423 billion global space economy is commercial. In 2020, the commercial space industry shattered records by launching over 1,000 spacecraft to orbit. Space activities that only existed on paper a few years ago are now being demonstrated and entering operation."
Commentary | Tim Peake’s 2015 space station mission gave UK science a long-lasting shot in the arm
UK Science Minister Amanda Solloway remembers Peake’s Dec. 15, 2015 mission to the ISS as a turning point for British space exploration.
Op-ed | What’s next for Space Force as it celebrates its first anniversary
One of the challenges ahead for the Space Force is educating new members of Congress and the public on why space matters and what threats exist on orbit.
Op-ed | No, Mars is not a free planet, no matter what SpaceX says
Taken literally, Starlink users must agree with SpaceX that Mars is a “free planet” and that disputes concerning Starlink services provided on Mars or while en route to the red planet via a SpaceX Starship will be settled through self-regulation. But is this clause valid?
Op-ed | Building Back Better: Critical first issues for a successful Biden space policy
As the Biden administration looks to rejoin international initiatives and reemphasize major global initiatives, it is critical that the incoming administration recognizes and recommits to the role that space technology plays in these efforts.
Op-ed | DoD partnerships with startups drive innovation in space technology
The commercial market is now driving almost all innovation in space technology. The government can pivot its practices to more quickly adopt the best from the market.
Op-ed | China, the moon, Mars, and beyond — an opportunity for human cooperation
China this week is conducting a robotic lunar sample return mission, something the United States has never done. The mission is proceeding while a Chinese lunar rover is wrapping up its second year of service on the moon — on its far side, something also never done by the United States.
Foust Forward | The most expensive rocks in the solar system
Can there be too much of a good thing? Perhaps, when it comes to asteroid samples. That’s what NASA discovered in October when its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft swooped down to collect material from the surface of the asteroid Bennu on a “touch-and-go” maneuver.
On National Security | As anniversary nears, Space Force still trying to convert skeptics
Almost a year since the Space Force was signed into law, leaders are still trying to figure out how to communicate with outside audiences that don’t understand what the service was created for.
The Future is Here Again
Space has become a business, where companies big and small are investing billions of dollars. They are investing in cheaper and more reliable ways to go there and come back. In technologies to survive in places far from the air and warmth and light of Earth.
