Some recent space policy related items:
- Analysis: NASA’s New Role as Partner – Nextgov.com
- Matt Reed: Giant leap for smarter government: Missions will deliver at one-third shuttle’s cost – Florida Today
- Reaction to the Cygnus launch – Space Politics
- Satellite Imagery Firms in U.S. and Europe Pushing for Permission To Sell Sharper Imagery – SpaceNews.com
- Shelton talks space, cyberspace at AFA Air and Space Conference – U.S. Air Force
- Editorial: How China’s Space Program Has Developed – Aviation Week
Update: Bob Zimmerman discusses space policy issues during an interview and in a new blog post:
Thanks for posting the Matt Reed article in Florida Today. If anything, he underestimated the cost savings that occur when NASA utilizes the commercial leverage model; i.e., NASA’s own studies have shown that it would cost NASA at least 4 and perhaps ten times as much money to develop the Falcon 9, as SpaceX actually spent to develop it. NASA Ames’ Dr. Dan Rasky made a good pitch on the commercial leverage model last week at the AIAA Space 2013 Conference in San Diego (AIAA = American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics). His charts are here.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/47645641/AIAA_2013.pptx
Thanks, Dave, for the link. Lots of good info in Dan’s presentation.
Thanks for the very informative link, Dave. Both SpaceX and Orbital have proven the commercial space approach can cut 90%(!) from the development costs of both launchers and spacecraft. Imagine what we can do if that approach was used for BEO flights?
Bob Clark