US Lawmakers Take Step Towards Creating Commercial Deep Space Program
A US House committee has unanimously passed a reauthorization act for NASA, paving the way for the creation of a commercial deep space program. The legislation must now be approved by the full House before being sent to the Senate.
The amendment added to the bill by Rep. Brian Babin and Zoe Lofgren allows NASA to acquire operational services from US-based private companies to carry cargo and crew safely, reliably, and affordably to destinations in deep space, including the Moon and Mars.
This change is significant as it marks a departure from traditional NASA procurement methods. Under the current system, NASA relies on government contractors to build and operate spacecraft and other systems. However, with this amendment, private companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space are being given the opportunity to bid on lunar cargo and crew missions.
"This is quite a step in the right direction for the future of commercial space transportation options for deep space," said Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "It's also very much in line with this administration's focus on commercial solutions and competition."
The amendment could lead to new partnerships between NASA and private companies, potentially offering more robust, affordable, and sustainable transportation systems for lunar missions.
"We will continue to rely on the ingenuity of the private sector," Rep. Babin said during a committee hearing, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing space exploration.
NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025 and establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. With this amendment, the agency may be able to tap into private sector expertise and resources to achieve its goals.
However, the bill still needs to pass the full House and Senate before it can become law. If passed, NASA could create a new program office, set requirements, and establish a process for contracting with private companies to provide deep space transportation services.
A US House committee has unanimously passed a reauthorization act for NASA, paving the way for the creation of a commercial deep space program. The legislation must now be approved by the full House before being sent to the Senate.
The amendment added to the bill by Rep. Brian Babin and Zoe Lofgren allows NASA to acquire operational services from US-based private companies to carry cargo and crew safely, reliably, and affordably to destinations in deep space, including the Moon and Mars.
This change is significant as it marks a departure from traditional NASA procurement methods. Under the current system, NASA relies on government contractors to build and operate spacecraft and other systems. However, with this amendment, private companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Impulse Space are being given the opportunity to bid on lunar cargo and crew missions.
"This is quite a step in the right direction for the future of commercial space transportation options for deep space," said Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "It's also very much in line with this administration's focus on commercial solutions and competition."
The amendment could lead to new partnerships between NASA and private companies, potentially offering more robust, affordable, and sustainable transportation systems for lunar missions.
"We will continue to rely on the ingenuity of the private sector," Rep. Babin said during a committee hearing, highlighting the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing space exploration.
NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025 and establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. With this amendment, the agency may be able to tap into private sector expertise and resources to achieve its goals.
However, the bill still needs to pass the full House and Senate before it can become law. If passed, NASA could create a new program office, set requirements, and establish a process for contracting with private companies to provide deep space transportation services.
This is a huge deal! It's about time we got some commercial competition in the space industry 
. I mean, who better to get humans to Mars than actual innovators like SpaceX? NASA's been doing this whole 'build and operate' thing for ages, it's nice to see them being more open to change 
. The potential partnerships could lead to some serious advancements in transportation tech 
. Fingers crossed the bill passes both House and Senate 
so like what if SpaceX or Blue Origin or whoever actually wins those lunar contracts?! Can you imagine the possibilities? Like we could have reusable rockets that are way cheaper than NASA's own stuff 
and then suddenly the whole Moon thing becomes super accessible again! My friend's cousin works at SpaceX and she says they're literally working on some crazy tech right now 
it's gonna be wild when this all goes down 
to space travel, not just NASA 
).
This could lead to some cost savings and innovative solutions for deep space travel! 
Sources: @NASA, @SpaceX
The potential for public-private partnerships is huge here - it's all about finding that sweet spot between government expertise and private sector innovation 
Fingers crossed the full House and Senate can get behind this bill! 
this is like totally awesome news!!! i mean we've been waiting for something like this to happen for ages! having private companies involved in the commercial deep space program is gonna be HUGE 
it's like, the US is finally stepping up its game when it comes to space exploration! having private companies like SpaceX & Blue Origin get involved is a total game changer. I mean, let's be real, these guys have some serious expertise & resources to bring to the table. and with NASA already working on Artemis, this is like, the perfect partnership 
!
Let's keep our fingers crossed that it passes in the full House and Senate!!! 
WE'RE ONE STEP CLOSER TO HAVING PRIVATE COMPANIES HELP US GET TO MARS AND BEYOND!!! 
THE GOAL OF NASA'S Artemis PROGRAM IS SO COOL AND I LOVE THAT THEY'RE OPEN TO PARTNERING WITH Private Companies LIKE SPACEX, BLUE ORIGIN, AND IMPULSE SPACE!!! 
. I'm hyped about companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin getting a chance to show off their stuff and bring some much-needed innovation to NASA's programs 
. The idea of private companies bidding on lunar cargo and crew missions is like, total game changer