Types of Competitions

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Permalink Reply by Dave Hook on July 30, 2008 at 9:07pm

A set of competitions that promote space entrepreneurism. Guillermo, you and Burton have a great idea! Let me share something with you that I've been chewing on ever since the last time you were on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston in June this year; it may be worthy of generating a competition.

Serious investment in space technologies really began at the start of the Cold War. Because these technologies were the closely held prizes of governments and major corporations, the protections for preventing "the other side" from obtaining them required similar, large-scaled resources. The exchange of ideas and technology concepts with beneficial foreign companies have been allowed, but only by Congressionally approved exception to ITAR. I think many would agree that some of the antiquated mechanisms within ITAR could be streamlined for strategic economic benefit in our sector. But someone must represent the interests of the space entrepreneurs...and speak for us with a single voice...to make this happen.

ITAR is a sore subject in our Space 2.0 market segment, I know. But this subject is a good example of the need for a national organization that represents space business--not business facilitation, not public awareness (and excitement), but business. Dealing with the General Aviation Community as one part of my business, there are a number of companies and organizations that operate solely for the purpose of promoting General Aviation. The one that I believe bears close examination in this case is the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

Ed Bolen and his folks in NBAA represent the business use of general aviation. The NBAA serves as the bridge between the corporate flight departments of small to large businesses with the differening levels of government and with the business aviation industry. They represent the general interests of business aviation. I strongly believe that space entrepreneurs need a similar type of representation.

A competition to foster (fund?) the development of a non-profit, membership-driven corporation which represents and promotes small-sized space businesses would create the opportunity to fill a gap. Having a competition that creates a membership-responsive company with the technical expertise of NASA and the business savvy of Forbes would be highly beneficial to space entrepreneurs. Then our space business community would have the organization that speaks with one voice to NASA, US Space Command, ESA, and so on, not a number of disparate companies with competing interests.

Not a trivial task, I know. But then again, ours is not a trivial enterprise.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Calnan on July 31, 2008 at 3:48pm

I think Dave has done a great job of defining major issues and impediments. Not wishing to fully play any hand without comprehensive legal Non-disclosure agreements, could be over ridden today with Homeland Security law grabs ....old story. On a minor tangent why is liquid space not seriously part of the current vision here? Or Solid space? Serious definitions or limitaions to Aero space is I feel dramatically limiting in all discussions or more suggestively , solutions.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Schwab on August 6, 2008 at 7:33am

For this reason, I like the phrase [protecting] "the space of Earth" (in the solar system) or "Earth-space" [energy] to get beyond this construct that Earth is one thing and space is another.

We are still mentally challenged when it comes to perceiving Earth as part of a solar system by virtue of the fact that the sun "sets" and the Moon comes "up" every night.

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