More progress for commercial spaceflight emerges

(This article also appears on the Transcendent TV & Media site.)

A blue-ribbon panel analyzing NASA's future spaceflight options plans to report to the White House this week.

The 10-member group, headed by Norman Augustine, the former chief executive of Lockheed Martin, plans to provide between six and eight options for future directions, according to published reports.

In addition to NASA's own activities, Augustine also reportedly will present options involving manned low-Earth-orbit commercial spaceflight.

Meanwhile, an organization called the Commercial Spaceflight Federation issued a press release this week announcing the formation of the Suborbital Applications Researchers Group (SARG).

SARG is described as a team of "experienced scientists, researchers, and educators dedicated to furthering the research and education potential of suborbital reusable launch vehicles under development by the commercial spaceflight sector."

COMMERICAL SPACEFLIGHT CONFIDENCE

In Augustine's briefing to the White House, he reportedly will put forward options for NASA missions to the moon or even Mars. The future roles of the International Space Station (ISS) will also probably be discussed.

Perhaps the most innovative developments are those that seem to point to increasing progress in the field of commercial space activities both in the near future and longer term.

Several private companies are now developing rockets, spacecraft and orbital habitats.

Augustine stated, "I've developed a great deal more confidence in commercial spaceflight than I would have had at the beginning," according to Space.com.

He also noted, "I've always believed there was a great commercial role in the unmanned arena, but the more I've thought about it, the more I think that applies to the human arena as well."

These statements appear to dovetail with the interests of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation's new SARG team.

According to the Commercial Spaceflight Federation press release, the group plans to "increase awareness of commercial suborbital vehicles in the science and R&D communities, to work with policymakers to ensure that payloads can have easy access to these vehicles, and to further develop ideas for the uses of these vehicles for science, engineering, and education missions."

CHANGING PERCEPTION AND REALITY

Collaboration between NASA and aerospace companies planning commercial space endeavors appears to be increasing.

Joint efforts involving areas such as funding, personnel and technology-sharing seem to be optimizing the activities of both government and private sector programs and projects.

The public, investors and the media may soon being seeing more significant developments that will create a changed perception about the future of space travel. And these changes may happen sooner than many may think.

According to Alan Stern, chairman of Commercial Spaceflight Federation's SARG team, "Because some of these vehicles are approaching first flights in 2010 and 2011, it is crucial to start engaging with the broader scientific community as soon as possible to put payloads and scientists on these vehicles."

Although the common perception, based on the past several decades of space missions, is that only government – particularly NASA and the military – were involved in space operations, the emergence of interest and active programs by several companies promises to remake our views.

Groups like the Commercial Spaceflight Federation may be leading the way in their stated mission "to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry."

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