Determining NASA’s Place in Tomorrow’s Space Travel

A recent publication in the Wall Street Journal by 13 former NASA astronauts, including Buzz Aldrin, provided possibly the strongest endorsement for the development of the commercial spaceflight industry. Their endorsement comes at an opportune time, and carries great credibility. Who better to give their opinion on the matter than some of the very people who have already been to outer space and back?

In their editorial, the astronauts bolstered the findings of the Augustine Committee, which strongly supports the involvement of private companies in providing astronauts access to low-Earth orbit, leaving NASA free to explore advancements in deep space travel.

These announcements, along with astronaut Sally Ride’s statement, “We would like to be able to get NASA out of the business of getting people to low Earth orbit," are music to the ears of space enthusiasts the world over. They see the involvement of the commercial sector and private spaceflight as a means of re-invigorating the explorative spirit that led to the Moon landing over 40 years ago.