Opinion
Opinion section includes op-eds, columns, commentaries and editorials on all things related to the global space business enterprise.
Op-ed | Celestial property rights: How we can achieve a new, commerce-fueled space age
One of the largest hurdles is coming up with a set of legal rules for governing behavior in outer space. The issue of celestial property rights is tricky.
On National Security | Space Force’s tech-heavy vision faces daunting obstacles
Space Force leaders frequently remind audiences that the newest branch of the U.S. military will be a “digital service” on the leading edge of technology.
Foust Forward | Seeking small victories in space policy
As the House and Senate struggle with pandemic relief and other spending bills, there seems little opportunity for anything space-related to get through Congress.
Op-ed | Materials that could bring life to Mars
With the right materials, a future for humanity on the Red Planet isn't just science fiction.
Op-ed | Building a robust space economy requires more partnerships
While public-private partnerships are getting a lot of attention, the space industry has not traditionally leveraged non-supply chain partnerships as frequently or as fluidly as some industries.
Commentary | Senate Democrats: Stand against China, protect U.S. space programs
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner argues that contracting provisions he added to a draft NASA authorization act last year would help safeguard U.S. space technology against Chinese efforts to steal it.
Op-ed | China must be held accountable for its actions on Earth and in space
A disregard for terrestrial international norms has also been witnessed with regard to space.
On National Security | Like Uber, except for satellite imagery
The U.S. military wants timely intelligence from space to be as fast and easy to obtain as hailing an Uber ride.
Commentary | A critical mission for human spaceflight: a quest for value
The next goals for human spaceflight should be industrialization and settlement, writes aerospace engineer Gary Oleson.
Peace of the Worlds
While humans have found a shared imperative in the fight against the coronavirus, we need something more than a common enemy to combat the isolation and loss that have come to define this pandemic.
Foust Forward | Space at the table for everyone
As its first term nears its end, the Trump administration has yet to issue its own national space policy, despite a wave of more specific space policy documents on everything from space traffic management to the Space Force.
Op-ed | Lunapolitics: 10 points to consider
Renewed competition for the moon is the basis for the rise of Lunapolitics: where political and economic interests intersect with the topography and physical properties of the moon, from its subsurface through to cislunar space.
Op-ed | U.S. satellites increasingly vulnerable to China’s ground-based lasers
Of the world’s 50 satellite laser ranging stations, five fixed stations are in Shanghai, Changchun, Beijing, Wuhan and Kuming
Commentary | Mars 2020 Mission another step closer to Launch
On June 10, NASA IV&V participated in the Mars 2020 Safety and Mission Success Review (SMSR) where final mission assurance conclusions were provided, culminating in an affirmative “Go” from NASA IV&V, providing concurrence for the project to move forward to the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) in July. This milestone is the culmination of years of hard work by JPL and NASA IV&V to confirm Mars 2020 mission readiness for launch currently set for July 30.
Op-ed | Is the future of space ops officeless?
Satellite experts should be asking: why is the space industry, the original ‘remote’ industry, behind the curve when it comes to truly remote operations?
Foust Forward | How will the pandemic change NASA?
Three months after the coronavirus pandemic upended American society, there are signs of recovery. NASA is also taking the first initial steps back to normal operations.
