Entrepreneurial New Space
Recent years have seen the emergence of many new private sector initiatives to develop space and space infrastructures without funding from NASA or other government agencies. The successful achievement of the $10 million Ansari X Prize challenge in 2004 has sparked a new wave of public interest in the use of space for commercial purposes.
At the same time, new approaches to the government's procurement of space services have stimulated renewed interest and investment in entrepreneurial space ventures. The most prominent example of this is NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, which aims to use commercially available space vehicles to transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station. This represents a major shift from the traditional paradigm of having the government own and operate costly systems like the Space Shuttle at taxpayer expense to fulfill its operational needs.
The Office of Space Commercialization is interested in fostering the growth of such "New Space" concepts, which leverage the power and efficiency of free market enterprise to achieve goals that the government has not been able to reach on its own.
Satellite-Based Observations Industry Day
In December 2007, NOAA posted a Sources Sought Notice in an effort to identify interested parties capable of providing commercial solutions to meet U.S. Government requirements for space-based earth and space weather observations. The primary areas of interest included: the availability of space and resources on commercially manifested satellite missions; commercial satellite systems that complement or meet U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO) observing requirements; and potential commercial earth and space weather observation data buys.
To facilitate the preparation of responses by interested parties, NOAA hosted an Industry Day at the Department of Commerce. Several dozen industry attendees participated, representing large, medium, and small firms. The Industry Day served as a venue for government representatives to present agency missions and goals as they relate to earth observing capabilities, and examples of space-based earth and space weather observation requirements.
The information gathered through this process will be used to facilitate future government mission and resource allocation planning. On August 4, 2008, NOAA issued a Request for Quote (RFQ) for additional information associated with the RFI and the January 2008 Industry Day, as well as other interested parties.
LEO Market Opportunities
On September 10, 2007, OSC co-hosted the NASA Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Working Group “kick-off” meeting to discuss the development of commercial markets in LEO. Representatives from NASA, FAA, DOC, and the entrepreneurial space industry participated in the day-long event.
The working group participants discussed topics as far ranging as destinations for human travel and scientific research in LEO (like the International Space Station and future private labs and habitats), regulations and insurance for the emerging markets, applied research market development, the national security market, the development of industry standards, human ratings for existing and future space transportation systems, interagency coordination to facilitate the development of markets, and overall public awareness of commercial space transportation.
NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office is expected to conduct regular meetings of the Low Earth Orbit Working Group throughout the year to facilitate dialogue between industry and the U.S. Government.
See also...
For additional information about entrepreneurial space business and "New Space," visit the websites of the following private sector organizations:
