Opinion: To Infinity and Beyond: Government or Private Sector Leadership in Space Exploration?
By Kriya Shah, Global High School Fellow (North Penn High School ‘24 — North Wales, Pennsylvania)
In the era of globalization that we live in today, with global connections come global competition, and just like the Space Race of the Cold War era, we have seen aggressive efforts to innovate in space exploration from major world powers like the United States, China, Russia, and India, among others. But according to a 2022 report from the Space Foundation, a not-for-profit research organization, 90% of the more than 1,000 spacecraft that have taken off in the past few years have been from private sector companies such as SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin, to name a few. Because space is expected to be generating over $1 trillion by 2040, many are wondering if this could be the industry to save the world economy. In that case, should governments or private companies lead the space exploration movement?
The private sector of space exploration has been incentivized to emerge due to the sizable decreases in space travel and the resources of top entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin), Sir Richard Branson (Blue Galactic), and most notably, Elon Musk (SpaceX). SpaceX accounts for nearly 60% of all new commercial launches and is often credited with bringing back the space market to the United States. Private companies have more leeway to innovate because they are not subject to bureaucratic constraints, and have unrestricted access and relegation to funding. Based on this, a common argument to place control in the hands of the private sector is that it is better suited to pursue commercial opportunities like space tourism, space mining, and spacecraft launches so that the revenue from the industry isn’t tied up in red tape.
Alternatively, however, there are many concerns about relegating space exploration to the private sector; ethical issues with little oversight, a lack of transparency and accountability, and most of all, the dangers of massive profits from the space industry siphoned directly to an individual or corporate entity. This is why some argue that governments should take the lead in space exploration, for the purpose of serving humanity to be applied in this industry as well. Governments have access to public funding, which, though it can be limited, ensures an amount of public oversight and opinion to be taken into consideration. While the private sector may be able to manage commercial applications of space exploration, the government would be more interested in long-term scientific research, such as deep-space exploration, which is less instantly profitable but crucial to our understanding of space. However, the government can often be constrained by its amount of funding and its drive for innovation.
As to global space governance, a concept born out of the Cold War’s Space Race, Government regulation on space is as follows: the United Nations established the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) for space oversight, which also works with governments in helping them regulate space exploration and has set up other resources and offices to further both space exploration and governments’ interest in it. The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) is a forum for its 95 member states to discuss areas of space law such as governance on space mining, debris, the nuclearization of outer space, and the standardization of small satellites. The United Nations General Assembly has also adopted five comprehensive space treaties. Similarly, in the United States, the Departments of Commerce, State, Transportation, and Defense handle different aspects of space exploration. Along with these bureaucracies, there are also committees in Congress that oversee space legislation and continually allocate spending to these departments for space-related activities.
So if we return to our original question and ask who should be in charge of space exploration, is it really one or the other? Private or public sector, both have pros and cons that, when put together, balance each other well. If the private sector has ethical concerns, the government can regulate them while funding them additionally. If the government lacks for-profit innovation that could stimulate the economy, the private sector has scientists working for that purpose. A partnership between the two would cause harmony in the global economy and would ease tensions between corporate and political America. Ultimately, however, the key to success in space exploration is not whether the initiative is led by governments or private companies, but rather the ability of all stakeholders to collaborate, innovate, and pursue common goals in a responsible and sustainable manner.
