Table of Contents
Did SpaceX start a commercial space race?
Google Trends is a great tool for displaying SpaceX’s public relations boom.
NASA Contracts are fiercely competitive
Did SpaceX start a commercial space race?
Thank you for flying SpaceX. You’re welcome back to Planet Earth. I think this quote from mission commands as the Dragon team splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico are the most powerful words for human travel since Armstrong said “one small Step for Man …”, and a critical move in the commercial spacerace. SpaceX may have made an enormous leap in space travel, but did it really start the race? Will they be leading this race for years to come? I believe they will. They have received more public support and publicity than any other commercial enterprise. NASA has awarded them the largest number of revolutionary and critical contracts. They also offer the widest range of satellite launching service to other businesses. No other private company has made such technological advances.
This essay will examine how the space race continues and will evolve in the future. It is not over yet. SpaceX is also examined for its anti-competitive practices and the risks that it poses to the race in space. In my findings and income I will exclude aeronautics companies such a Boeing, Airbus, or defense companies such a Raytheon and Lockheed. The searches for these companies’ aircraft instead of spacecraft as well as their huge payments from western militaries are likely to heavily affect the results. I’ll also exclude companies that are currently owned by the US government and compete against corporations.
What do I consider the commercial race in space and, briefly, SpaceX? The commercial space race is the race between companies that are privately owned to gain the advantage over their competitors in various sectors. It’s the same old corporate games, but in space with much higher risks. This corporate warfare could also help advance the human race in terms of exploration, technology, and understanding. My research has helped me refine the definition of the space race commercial and break it down into smaller races. The race between NASA and low orbit satellites for broadband, as well as the race on Mars. I didn’t expect the level of competition in all these areas. After doing more research, I realized that the race for commercial flights is only one small cog within the commercial space racing machine. To put things in context, SpaceX is a commercial space company.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in May 2002, is the world’s leading private space company. It has four main missions to send humans into space. Mission Earth Orbit is an aerospace company founded by Elon Musk on 6th May 2002. It has four primary missions for human space travel. Mission Space Station: This mission aims to send astronauts from America to the International Space Station. This mission’s focus is on returning mankind to the Moon. There, we will establish bases and gain more experience for traveling to Mars or beyond. This mission’s focus is to colonise Mars and make humans a multi-planetary race.
Google Trends: Showing SpaceX’s growth and leading position in public awareness.I am certain that SpaceX is the only private space company to have generated more support and media attention than any others. It has also led to more and more private competition. There is now a second race in space, the “commercial” race. This is because I think that this is true (excluding aeronautics companies, such as Airbus and Boeing due to their dominance in the airline industry. They are also the two largest aerospace companies in terms of revenue and customers). SpaceX enjoys a much higher level of public interest and engagement than its competitors Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic.
SpaceX is a leader in the commercial space race because of the fierce competition they face for NASA contracts. I’m referring to the multi-million dollar NASA deal that SpaceX has with NASA. I know other companies are vying for a piece. Nasa gives out more than $8billion to various companies. They want astronauts to be launched from the USA instead of Russia, where costs have more than quadrupled during the last decade. Reliability is also a concern. NASA is now a major customer, not a shareholder. Jim Bridenstine’s, NASA administrator, stated that they wanted to become one of many clients in the very robust commercial market in low Earth orbit. Bridenstine’s quote seems to encourage commercial space companies and an increase in the number of space-based businesses.
SpaceX’s first NASA contract opened many people’s eyes to the possibilities of profiting from the deal and the race for more commercial contracts and offers. SpaceX sent the first liquid-fueled rocket to space in September 2008 and 3 months later won a NASA deal worth over $1billion dollars to service ISS. It was not the first NASA contract for SpaceX. The first one came in 2006. SpaceX won a NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Phase 1 contract. This contract was a simplified version of their 2008 contract. NASA awarded SpaceX $396million for the development of the Dragon spacecraft’s cargo configuration. SpaceX spent over $500 million to develop the Falcon 9 launcher to send the Dragon into space. This was to better carry out their contracted missions.
It is important to note that these contracts are highly competitive. They are a great way to fund projects and get a big financial boost. SpaceX has become the 8th most valued aerospace company with a valuation of approximately $50 billion. It is behind Boeing, Airbus, and highly valued engine and defence manufacturers. SpaceX is an attractive option for companies that want a share of the space commercialisation, particularly their CEO’s. Elon Musk has a net worth of $87.9 Billion and they are keen to compete with him to win government contracts. NASA offers hundreds contracts, including propellants, launch services, and life-support services. Small companies can also bid to enter the industry.