The Pros And Cons Of Privatization Of Space Exploration

805 Words4 Pages
Just slightly more than a decade ago, space exploration industry was completely controled by government space agencies, among them the famous Russian space agency and NASA. However, in recent years, commercial companies are starting to join the sapce race. After a number of analysis, it is plain that having private sectors in the space exploration industry is simply not the best idea. Some advocates supporting the privatization of space industry claimed that privatizing space can lead to a number of beneficial outcomes, including making space more “democratic”, “available, approachable, and real”(Polland, Jennifer). They are saying that a privatized space industry will help give common citizens the possibility to be near space and the exploration.…show more content…
This may sound like a valid reason, since 66 percent of the people surveyed are not satisfied with NASA’s space progress on space exploration since the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, according to an online survey(“How satisfied are you with NASA’s progress in space exploration since the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969?”). Also, it costs up to 1.5 billion dollars for NASA to launch a space shuttle; but it only costs 274 million dollars for Orbital Science, a private companiy that explores spaces and launches spacecrafts, to launch an “Antares” spacecraft(Masci, David). However, one of the problems with this theory is that the funding for private space industry simply can’t compare to government agaencies. Every year funding for NASA is always ensured, because a part of the federal tax goes to NASA. Private sectors just don’t have this kind of ensured funding, and without economical or technological advantages, how are they going to be able to do things government agencies can’t or won’t? Instead, private companies will only focus on short-term, quick-profit projects, and will not be willing to invest in long-term projects that are beneficial to the scientific studies. For example, the Hubble telescope or the Webb telescope is impossible to be launched by a private company, because estimating the cost of a projec that will last decades and calculating if it’s profitable is nearly impossible(Ferguson, Ian). If the industry is to be more and more privatized, then the scientific approach to space exploration will be ignored, and the industry will be centred around profit and exist for profit alone. In conclusion, the reasons given by those who support privatized space exploration are not valid. The following are some other reasons why space exploration should ot be
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