Government Regulation Of Space Essay

Since scientific funding is largely based on the public’s perception of a project, space exploration has always been an uncertain endeavor. The combination of public support and international competition fueled the expansion of humanity’s boundaries during the Apollo missions while the challenger disaster left a scar on the public’s view of human space exploration. I believe the government should allow the private sector to take the lead in manned space travel, yet it should liberally regulate the industry. There are many thing for both sides to gain if the government’s policy continues to allow companies such as Space X and Virgin Galactic to make decisions in the modern era of space travel. The US could save extravagant amounts of financial resources as companies have the opportunity to make a profit. On this note, the profit focus of industry will create more efficient ways to explore the cosmos. Similarly, the greater freedom companies have will allow much greater bounds in technology. The government cannot take large financial and safety risk which results in slower progress, but industry has much capital and much less social responsibility.

The main issue stems from the ideal that if the government has full control, capitalism does not thrive. Some regulation is needed to prevent complete domination of space by a corporate empire and to set boundaries of that which belongs to the public. In addition, this government involvement can create incentives to steer the commercial sector towards US interest. It is best for lawmakers to allow people such as engineers to create these regulations as a result of their relevant knowledge in the field. With the help of these specialist, the government will be able to passively control space exploration without