On July 21, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the Blue Origin aerospace company, blasted off towards space on his New Shephard spacecraft to mark the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. A week earlier, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson achieved a similar feat as he and his crew travelled to the Earth-space boundary and experienced the weightlessness of outer space for a few minutes. While the timing and purpose of the trips are still being hotly debated, with arguments both in favour of and against the launches, the back-to-back events signify the dawn of a new era in space travel and exploration—the rise of the private space industry.
The explosion of private space companies in recent years has coincided with a surge in public interest for space-related activities. The launch of several outer space missions over the last decade by multiple countries, including the United States, China, India, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, could be a reason for this. The growing US-China competition in space could also be a contributing factor. For instance, according to a 2018 Pew survey, 72% of Americans believe that the US should remain a global leader in space as countries like China and India have emerged as major players in the field.
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However, the most important factor responsible for the recent explosion of interest in space has been the role of private space companies. In July, Axios reported that increasing competition between companies like Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX has spurred the public’s interest in space coverage. Talks of a new ‘Space Race 2.0’ between these companies have contributed as well. This can also be seen in the way news companies cover developments in the industry. While space coverage in the past was largely meant for a niche market, today, agencies have dedicated space reporters to cover every minor development, signalling growing public curiosity. Another 2018 Pew survey found that 81% of Americans expressed confidence in the role of private space companies.
Furthermore, the increasing commercialisation of space has resulted in a drastic reduction in the cost of space launches. Traditionally, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has relied on two private companies—Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA)—for satellite and other unmanned missions, and just the starting cost charged by these companies is around $110 million. On the other hand, SpaceX lists the starting price for its Falcon-9 launch vehicle at $62 million. Until 2020, NASA had depended on the Russian Soyuz rockets, which charged around $86 million per astronaut, while SpaceX’s first manned mission to the International Space Station (ISS) cost $55 million per seat, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has argued that costs will only come down as a result of more launches and greater participation.
The astronomical cost of launching a human space flight is the reason why the US has not been able to send a manned mission to the Moon since the Apollo programme was ended in 1972. However, continual reductions in cost as a result of the entry of private actors have made such missions more attractive and indeed possible. NASA launched the Artemis Program in 2020 with the aim of sending astronauts to the Moon by 2024 and building a robust lunar economy in the process. It has already awarded contracts to several private companies, including Boeing, Blue Origin, and SpaceX, to carry out different aspects of Artemis.
Additionally, space startups and established private companies are carrying out their own programmes, many of which have resulted in technological breakthroughs. For instance, SpaceX is capable of launching reusable rocket launchers with self-landing capabilities, and it has made progress in its Starlink programme that aims to provide low latency satellite internet to almost any area on the planet by 2021. The company is also in the process of testing its Starship spacecraft, planned for a 2024 manned mission to Mars, which has generated a lot of global publicity. Rocket Lab, a New Zealand-based aerospace startup, has also emerged as a key player in the launch of small satellites to orbit, paving the way for similar companies to develop.
The string of successful private space programmes has generated significant interest in countries with long term plans for space. Apart from choosing private companies to launch their satellites, countries have also sought to foster a space startup-friendly environment. India, for example, launched the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in 2020 to ensure greater private participation in India’s space programme along with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This has resulted in the development of several Indian space companies like Skyroot Aerospace, which plans to launch its first mission by 2022.
Nevertheless, while privatisation has led to a thriving space industry globally, it is also associated with the introduction of a number of serious problems.
SpaceX’s Starlink programme aims to launch around 12,000 satellites to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by 2025 to make satellite internet more accessible. A direct result of this programme has been the launch of similar programmes by other companies, including Amazon, which plan to launch tens of thousands of satellites into the LEO by the end of the decade. This could prove to be disastrous for space research and travel. Light pollution caused by thousands of satellites could negatively affect images taken from high-resolution telescopes from Earth. In fact, astronomers around the world have raised concerns about satellites disrupting their work.
There is also a strong possibility of satellites colliding with each other, which could trigger a chain reaction and result in millions of pieces of space debris. Such an event would put vital infrastructure like communications and earth observation satellites, telescopes, and even the ISS at serious risk of destruction. Another consequence of unimpeded privatisation is the environmental damage caused by launches. Vox reports that the carbon footprint of one rocket launch is 100 times greater than a single flight. With individual private companies aiming for hundreds of such launches annually, it could lead to a drastic increase in global warming levels, especially at a time when the world is already facing a climate crisis.
Concerns have also been raised about the involvement of private companies in military operations in space. In 2018, the US Department of Defence selected three companies—ULA, Northrop Grumman, and Blue Origin—to develop rockets capable of launching security satellites into orbit, and in 2020, the US Space Force awarded SpaceX a contract to launch military missions into space. This could lead to private companies learning about state secrets, while classified missions to space would make them less accountable, and potentially give them an undue influence over government policies. SpaceX has, in the past, launched secretive military missions for the US military, including the classified Zuma mission in 2018. Moreover, the CSIS ‘Space Threat Assessment 2020’ report highlights that, since 2014, the Chinese commercial space industry has continued to grow at a steady pace and Chinese companies have started testing new launch vehicles. This could possibly lead to the militarisation of space not only by China and the US but also by private companies from both countries.
Hence, it is crucial that laws for the conduct of both state and non-state actors in outer space are firmly established. Furthermore, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), which was established in 1958 to strengthen the legal framework for space activities, along with other UN bodies like the Security Council and the General Assembly, should work towards establishing laws that are reflective of the current scenario. As of now, space activities are governed by Cold War-era treaties, including the Outer Space Treaty (OST) of 1967 and the 1984 Moon Treaty, which are not reflective of current realities. An international treaty governing the actions of private actors in space is yet to be established.
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It is also important that the UN and other stakeholders in space coordinate with each other to reach long term solutions to address the issues related to the privatisation of space. So, while SpaceX has proposed a potential solution for clearing space debris, better coordination within the framework of an international body/treaty could generate more ideas on how to tackle the issue. Therefore, the immediate priority should be the establishment of a powerful global body with adequate powers—which includes states, private companies, non-governmental organisations, and civil society members—to tackle the problems related to the privatisation of space.