Private Sector Participation in Space

As an aerospace engineer, former NASA rocket scientist, and the first Bahamian to fly to space, I care deeply about science, sustainability, and what this mission actually represented. For ya’ll who think it was short, traveling at 2,300 MPH makes you feel a way 😉 So let’s break it down: 1. Purpose of the mission: Yes, Blue Origin’s New Shepard is suborbital—but this mission made history in more ways than one. I served as the science payload operator for the first-ever HBCU-led research project to fly aboard New Shepard, developed in partnership with Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). The mission also marked a first for BioServe Space Technologies, whose Fluid Processing Apparatus (FPA) hardware was flown to qualify it for future use in orbit. In addition to advancing plant biology research by examining how crops like chickpeas and sweet potatoes grow in microgravity to support future food security. I also wore a BioButton as part of a NASA-funded study led by TRISH (Translational Research Institute for Space Health) to better understand how women’s bodies respond to spaceflight. This work is essential for future deep space exploration, where gender-specific data is still significantly lacking. Not tourism. Research. 2. Climate impact: Rockets do have an environmental cost just like cargo ships, long-haul flights, and even your average data center. But this wasn’t just about one flight. The long game is reusability. New Shepard is fully reusable, and part of developing cleaner, more sustainable launch vehicles something we need if we want to monitor climate, deliver satellites, or support Earth-observation missions. And by the way, many climate-monitoring tools rely on space infrastructure. 3. The role of private people: I left NASA to found two companies focused on education and equity. Through LINGO, we’ve brought STEM access to over 10,000 students worldwide, including in The Bahamas. The goal isn’t just to go to space it’s to bring what we learn back home. 4. Private vs. public investment: Let’s not pretend private sector innovation doesn’t play a role in societal advancement. Commercial spaceflight delivers satellites for disaster tracking, global internet, GPS and agriculture monitoring to name a few benefits. It’s space for the benefit of Earth. 5. Marketing and representation: Representation isn’t just about optics it’s about access. As a Black woman and first-generation Bahamian-American, I didn’t grow up thinking space was for me. This mission sent a powerful message: that science isn’t reserved for the elite few. It belongs to all of us. And if one young girl saw me and thought maybe I could study engineering, I consider that a mission success. Yes, be critical. Always. But don’t dismiss the science, the significance, or the opportunity to inspire and inform 🙏🏽🚀💙 #space #opinion #blueorigin

Musk’s SpaceX Leads Bid for Satellite-Based Missile Shield Introduction: Private Tech Giants Enter the Missile Defense Business Elon Musk’s SpaceX is leading a bold new proposal to develop a satellite-based missile defense system for the U.S. government, marking a dramatic shift in how military infrastructure could be built and operated. Dubbed the “Golden Dome” in homage to Israel’s Iron Dome, the initiative forms part of President Trump’s record-setting defense budget and signals the growing fusion of tech-sector innovation with national defense operations. Key Elements of the Golden Dome Proposal • Consortium of Tech Firms: • SpaceX has emerged as the leading contractor, joined by Palantir (data analytics and surveillance) and Anduril (autonomous drones and defense tech). • Together, the trio proposes a defense network combining real-time surveillance, AI-driven decision-making, and kinetic interception capabilities. • System Architecture: • Between 400 to 1,000 orbital satellites would provide constant surveillance of potential ballistic launch sites across the globe. • An additional 200 “attack satellites” would be armed with kinetic interceptors or directed-energy weapons (like anti-missile lasers) to neutralize threats in real time. • Subscription-Based Military Model: • In a significant departure from traditional defense procurement, the companies propose a model in which the government pays for access rather than owning the assets. • This “as-a-service” model mirrors tech industry trends but raises concerns about sovereignty, reliability, and continuity of command during crises. Political and Strategic Context • Protests and Public Backlash: • Musk’s ventures have drawn increasing scrutiny from protestors, particularly Tesla dealerships. That scrutiny may now extend to his defense ambitions. • Critics argue the “rent-a-weapon” concept could make U.S. defense policy vulnerable to corporate agendas or disruptions in tech-sector stability. • Pentagon’s Interest and Concerns: • While the Pentagon has a long history of contracting logistics and tech operations, this proposal pushes the boundary by outsourcing an entire strategic deterrence platform. • Some defense officials welcome the innovation and cost-efficiency, while others fear losing direct control of life-or-death infrastructure to private firms. Conclusion: A New Paradigm in Defense Tech — But at What Cost? Elon Musk’s satellite defense proposal represents a daring reimagination of U.S. missile defense, blending the speed of tech innovation with the strategic needs of national security. However, the implications are profound: a shift toward privatized deterrence, militarized orbit, and potentially diminished government control in exchange for agility and innovation. As the Pentagon weighs its options, the outcome could define how America builds and fights its future wars—above Earth itself. Analog Physics qai.ai

Dan Vergano couldn't be more spot on here. It's time to put the $20B+ Space Launch System out of its (and our) misery - in fact, it's way, way overdue. The NASA ship is sagging under the weight of huge opportunity costs as a result of being encrusted with overgrown barnacles like SLS, Orion, and other 'zombie' programs no one can kill or even pare back. These activities are consuming the lion's share of NASA's budget and prevent its leadership from exercising meaningful discretion in how it prosecutes its mission. This has got to cease. Tell the private sector you want to establish a human presence on and around the moon by 2030. We have at least two credible contenders (SpaceX and Blue Origin) right out of the gate - and I suspect more might emerge (think Sierra Nevada Corporation) if the thumb comes off the scale and we let American companies and their backers do what they do best. Enlist Congress' support - good folks are waiting in the wings to help. Shine as much daylight on the delays and overruns as you can. Then take a fraction of the appropriations that would have been shoveled into SLS/Orion and set it aside for service contracts a la commercial crew/cargo. This can be done - and it can be done by us (not some "future generation"). We just have to recover a sense of urgency - something that fueled NASA during its Apollo years. Part and parcel of that will be a willingness on the part of leadership to let go of the reins and let industry demonstrate what it can do. https://lnkd.in/eiy6Q-Hz