Initially I thought President Obama's "deconstruction" of the Space Program was wrong minded...but I could be wrong. Because he invited private industry to take up the challenge of exploiting space.
Several years later and what? Aside from a few "vanity" projects, private industry has done very little. And it's not that they do not profit from space exploration, indeed, government satellites have given rise to the cell phone industry and gps. There is plenty of tech available for private industry to grow on but they haven't. Why? ROI. It's a very risky venture..and the private sector loathes risk. They do not innovate. They build on what others have created. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are prime examples of this.
So, while other countries are now entering the 'space race' and America looks to the private sector to do "something"...we can watch and wait as the "captains of industry" do nothing. Because generally..if it's not a "sure thing" then the private sector wants nothing to do with it.
Several years later and what? Aside from a few "vanity" projects, private industry has done very little. And it's not that they do not profit from space exploration, indeed, government satellites have given rise to the cell phone industry and gps. There is plenty of tech available for private industry to grow on but they haven't. Why? ROI. It's a very risky venture..and the private sector loathes risk. They do not innovate. They build on what others have created. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are prime examples of this.
So, while other countries are now entering the 'space race' and America looks to the private sector to do "something"...we can watch and wait as the "captains of industry" do nothing. Because generally..if it's not a "sure thing" then the private sector wants nothing to do with it.
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