Source: SiliconValley Mercury News
Just over five years ago, as secretary of transportation I had the honor of presiding over the birth of a new industry in the United States: commercial human space transportation. Thousands of people gathered under the crisp Mojave Desert sky to see SpaceShipOne, the first privately funded spaceship, take flight and ride a rocket-powered boost all the way to space.
Built by aerospace legend Burt Rutan, SpaceShipOne gave us a glimpse into a future many thought we could only dream about. Those private space flights made headlines worldwide and showed that America still has what it takes to lead the world in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
As President Barack Obama outlined in a historic speech last week, NASA will now partner with commercial space companies to bring that Silicon Valley spirit to all of NASA and breathe new life into the space industry.
The commercial space industry has grown so much that NASA can and should start leveraging its capabilities more seriously. NASA should focus on pushing the frontier rather than operating a trucking service to low Earth orbit like today’s space shuttle.
It doesn’t make sense for NASA to duplicate private-sector capabilities by building its own astronaut transportation, as Obama prudently recognized. Today’s Atlas V and Delta IV commercial rockets have had dozens of successful flights, which is why NASA uses commercial rockets to carry priceless science satellites. It’s the logical next step for NASA to extend that strategy to astronaut missions.
While the Atlas and Delta rockets have extensive track records, it is not just the established companies that will compete in this new industry. Having spent two decades representing Silicon Valley in Congress, I say it’s long overdue to bring in entrepreneurs to this sector, with all their fresh ideas, private investment and new business approaches.
Many of these space entrepreneurs come from the technology world, ranging from Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com to Elon Musk of PayPal.
Back in Silicon Valley, 30 years ago, we could never have imagined all the uses for computers, but as prices dropped new markets and capabilities opened up.
In the same way, commercial vehicles won’t just transport NASA astronauts and private citizens; they’ll also contribute to zero-gravity research, development of drug therapies, and sectors that we have yet to imagine. NASA’s investment in commercial space flight will pay for itself many times over with new jobs, innovations and industries.
When I was secretary of transportation, I had final authority for more than 40 FAA-licensed commercial rocket launches. Safety is something I take very seriously, and I would not be advocating for expanded commercial space flight if I didn’t believe it would be safe.
Commercial rockets already launch critical national security satellites, and these companies will tap the brightest minds at NASA, the Air Force and the Department of Transportation to constantly improve safety. So while space flight will always have inherent risks, I believe that commercial providers will never lose sight of safety.
As the partnership between NASA and commercial space grows, I expect that many more people will travel into space than ever before. Just as Silicon Valley pioneers dreamed of a computer in every home, today’s space entrepreneurs are passionate about bringing space flight to the public.
Thanks to Obama’s decision to open this new market, I fully expect that the elementary school kids of today will someday live in a world where space travel is commonplace. With Russia, China and India close on our heels, the only way we can maintain our hard-won leadership in space transportation is by employing America’s unique entrepreneurial strength. Obama’s new plan for NASA does exactly that.
NORMAN Y. MINETA served as secretary of transportation under President George W. Bush and as secretary of commerce under President Bill Clinton. He represented Silicon Valley in Congress for more than 20 years. He wrote this article for this newspaper.