Some initial responses (randomly selected)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

• Encouraging, cultivating and ensuring a thriving commercial space economy should be a NATIONAL priority, not just a NASA initiative. As China and India join Europe, Japan and Russia in an expanded Earth-Moon-Mars space economy (whether commercial or government-led), our COUNTRY’S attitude and position will look weaker and weaker.
• The Issue of the Decade arrow seems to be pointing to the global environment, sustainable energy, etc. Yet, with the known ~infinite resources in space, space does not even enter the discussion or trade space of most experts studying these key issues, and rarely if ever gets invoked in any public discussions and debates. Proper applications of space technologies and aggressive use of space resources could materially affect all of these areas and change the course of human history, yet no one seems to know. Commercial space will be a key element of how to make all of this happen.

(Response A)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

Commercial communications industry is far ahead of what NASA is currently envisioning. Leverage completely commercial solutions for Constellation space communications. (Response B)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

A legal and regulatory infrastructure for orbital commerce needs to be developed and implemented. (Response C)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

In addition to important COTS type programs, a more serious prize program is needed. It is far easier for NASA to offer prizes to whomever accomplishes a major space objective than to pick winners and losers from dozens of unproven entrepreneurial companies. But such prizes are meaningless unless they are very large and provide a huge “gold rush” type response. It needs to be a “XXX” Prize not an X Prize. The current prize levels will do little to spur innovation and investment. (Response D)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

We are developing launch technology with the potential to lower costs to $100/lb to LEO. In an evaluation of 400 advanced space technology concepts performed by the Concept Development Think Tank Branch of the Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center, our system was one of only 5 selected for further review—but there is no civilian source of funding. If NASA had an R&D grant program open to ALL technologies, not just those narrow selections requested in the SBIR program, is could pay huge dividends both to NASA and the commercial space business. (Response E)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

Make ISS resources clearly available for commercial users and suppliers, since the government science program has been largely abandoned for the moment – let private industry perform science utilization of ISS. (Response F)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

Please refer to NASA publication, “Accessing Space: A Catalogue of Process, Equipment and Resources for Commercial Users,” published by the U.S. Gov’t Printing Office in 1990 (and 1988). This book should be updated and published again to include and address contemporary issues, interests and resources, and distributed far and wide throughout U.S. commercial industry. (Response G)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

Set up a web site, news letter, and blogs for exchanging information and posting news. (Response H)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

Some entrepreneurs/commercial space zealots will say all commercial space needs is for the govt to provide enabling legislation and then get out of the way. This in theory is capitalism right? This view is not correct and only will delay the entire market. Need to foster a partnership between govt and commercial that both can live with. Govt must provide legislation, enabling activities, anchor tenancy but in a way that does not pick winners and losers and does not preclude others from taking what is there and running with it. Tricky balance to work but essential. (Response I)

9. Any other comments or suggestions regarding commercial space?

I don’t think that many within NASA are aware of the leveraging power of the Centennial Challenge prize money, nor the educational and promotional benefits of the alternate space industry. If we want to encourage a new generation of scientists, engineers and explorers, the alternate space industry is an inexpensive way of reaching a vast audience. (Response J)

Some initial responses (randomly selected)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

• Don’t develop or reinvent ANYTHING that commercial providers could provide, from pencils to big rockets. Buy these things from them.
• Operate by the rules already in place to buy COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) products whenever possible.
• Specify what NASA wants by when and not how to get the job done. Let commercial creativity and innovation get a workout.
• Prove that NASA can be a good partner by making a deal and sticking with it – a very tall order for NASA.
• Encourage property rights in space that are consistent with a thriving commercial economy in space. Stop acting like a communist institution.
• In many arenas, just stay out of the way and don’t pick winners/losers and don’t meddle.
• Adopt commercial design and interface standards (e.g., TCP/IP) whenever possible; don’t invent their own.

(Response A)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

a. Break of NASA Ames and place it under Dept of Commerce Office of Space Commercialization as a Space Development Agency

b. Re-establish a NACA like function that is responsible to a board of commercial entities to do targeted pre-competitive commercial research, and DARPA-like external technology development

c. Expand support of prizes for everything, including getting American citizens to the Moon.

d. Conduct surveys of the Moon and NEA’s specifically for commercial exploitation

e. Do Lee Morin’s idea of placing a for-rent telerobotic ISRU facility on the Moon

f. Build a railroad that commercial entities can actually ride, ride often, and can be transferred to them

g. Define the Moonbase, set up a port authority, do on-line digital competitions for design, bid for first entrant post partners, decide and contract out services, make plain and public the standards of electrical, hydraulic, pressure doors, volatiles, etc. Get a real real-estate developer, Mall Developer to help you fill out the “lunar mall” or condominium.

(Response B)

 

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

Establish an easily communicated vision, develop the strategy to get there, co-develop technology with the commercial world, and remove the “on again/off again” funding model. (Response C)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

Insist that NASA and other government agencies purchase services from industry providers. The model to follow is that of the post office in requesting airmail delivery through the U.S. in the early 20th century. This policy of the postmaster general led to the development of today’s major U.S. air carriers. (Response D)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

But commercial services in all possible instances and give up building and operating competing government space vehicles. (Response E)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

Push the rocket engine envelope.
CONTEST PROGRAM PROPOSAL
Minimum of 10k lbs thrust for concept (Phase 1)
Minimum of 100k
Isp milestones: 500, 700, 1000, 1200
T/m milestones: 50, 100, 120, 150, 300, 500, 1200, 1500, 2000
Reusable: 50x, 100x, 200x, 500x, 1000x
(Response F)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

Commercial space still needs NASA to fund basic technology and build major infrastructure. So oddly enough, the best thing you could do to promote commercial space is to first get a realistic budget for NASA to support all of the things NASA should be doing. This means doing a far better job educating tax payers about the importance of the U.S. remaining #1 in space, especially as Europe, China, India and others are becoming more aggressive and accomplished in space. (Response G)

8. What do you think is the most important thing that NASA could do to support and promote commercial space?

Provide incentives for commercial companies to further R&D efforts in cooperation with NASA research, in areas such as pharmaceuticals, materials science, life sciences, communications, transportation, enabling technologies for space exploration, etc. Reinstate the Office of Commercial Programs (Code C – NASA HQ) of the 1980s and 90s, and various programs that stimulate commercial interest, such as the CCDSs (Centers for the Commercial Development of Space); the ENCAP program (Environmental Commercial Applications Program) for the development and applications of remote sensing data (could be very powerful in a time of federal and commercial interest in Global Warming); and general outreach and development of various aspects of Commercialization. (Response H)

Some initial responses (randomly selected)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

• Cost-effective transportation to LEO and lack of ‘killer app’ business ideas. (The commercial GEO services market is thriving with existing launch prices, so the price of launch isn’t universally inhibiting commercial space.)
• A nearly universal lack of awareness inside and outside space circles that commercial space has dominated the world space market (>50% of all value) since 1997! There is already a HUGE commercial space economy, but few know about it.

(Response A)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

The biggest barrier to commercial space is the lack of true co-development. Technologies can be developed for terrestrial applications as well as for space thus reducing the development time and cost for both. (Response B)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

NASA needs to create a market for commercial space activities. Government service providers should not be in competition with industry. NASA should be in the business of providing services and infrastructer that industry is unwilling to provide. Privatization is not a welcome idea at NASA HQ nor is it embraced by the NASA centers. (Response C)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

The cultural barrier of civil servants working with industry; government FAR based procurements. (Response D)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

NASA itself as presently constituted
As a result of this: launch cost
(Response E)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

1) $1000 per pound cargo to orbit
2) Reusable rockets
3) Time to approve NASA paperwork if you are not a COTS winner
4) Well financed opposition
(Response F)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

(a) High launch costs, (b) long zero revenue, zero cash flow periods during construction, launch and in-orbit check out phases hurt investor returns and require very patient investors, and (c) investors face same commercial and competitive risks as terrestrial companies in addition to unique and sometimes uninsurable space risks, additional regulations plus frequent direct competition from the government. (Response G)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

The government does not express its requirements as a customer, but rather as a system integrator. (Response H)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

Export Compliance parameters, the U.S. policy to “Buy American,” licensing policies of the State Dept. The Space Industry is not a cottage industry in the U.S. – it is worldwide and we need to play on the global field with equal policies, incentives and support – other countries are moving ahead and cooperating on projects because they are not limited by these restrictions and they will, as a result, grow well beyond American potential. (Response I)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

Commercial space barriers (e.g, very high cost of entry, technology risks, political risks if dependent on government, very long investment timelines, etc. )are very substantial and differ greatly from current terrestrial markets making financing of projects extremely difficult. Traditional investment sources largely will not touch commercial space given the barriers involved. Commercial space has the basic ‘chicken-egg’ issue, i.e., need customers out in space to encourage commercial space goods/services to develop but few/in any existing space customers given not commercial space goods/services. Bigelow’s efforts are one attempt at providing a destination in space that could create support goods/services development and lead to other commercial space applications that are synergistic with such efforts. (Response J)

7. What do you see as the biggest barrier/obstacle to commercial space?

Environmental review process stifles the development of new non federal ranges. It is also an impediment to the permitting and licensing processes. FAA AST should have some discretionary powers to negate the necessity of environmental review for small vehicles. (Response K)

Some initial responses (randomly selected)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

Program is fine except selection process should be more independent of NASA and politics. Suggest using National Academy for technical review plus outside experts for business/financial review. (Response A)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

Purchase of space cargo services, not another development program. (Response B)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

Permit technology risk retirement to be performed under NASA contract before soliciting investment from private sources. NASA should commit to buying the COTS services conditioned on the service providers meeting capability and price objectives. (Response C)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

I think Constellation Services International should have been one of the organizations selected. They can implement the needed solution more cheaply and more quickly than any others. From a business perspective, it seems illogical that they wouldn’t be a top choice, so COTS seems to have some requirements that are not based on what is best financially or best in a business sense. (Response D)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

Invest in multiple companies instead of just 2.
Have competitive structure to awards.
i.e. First to milestone gets $xx, second gets $x, and so on
(Response E)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

Continuity of funding is a major concern voiced by old hands at the NASA / private sector partnership. Guaranteed funding through a specific period / project that would survive less visionary congresses? (Response F)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

1) Prove the concept on a smaller scale before building full systems
2) Run a "Grand Challenge" for space
3) Launch scale rockets or planes in a competition (in addition to any paperwork)
(Response G)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

The success of the COTS program should be embraced throughout NASA. To much of the established civil service sector sees this activity as in direct competition with their existing positions. Privatization of NASA’s historical activities is a strongly resisted by the existing civil service pool. The U.S. will lose out in space commercialization if they do not embrace the capabilities of private enterprise. (Response H)

6. Do you think the NASA COTS program could be improved? If so how?

All programs would be improved if the funding cycle were more stable. Commercial companies cannot commit resources for programs when approvals for funds and the start dates are always in question. The negative impact from loss of continuity is staggering. (Response I)