The government should award contracts to a variety of launch vendors to support competition in an industry that is dominated by SpaceX, according to a report released Tuesday by Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
Pros and cons: The US is the leader of today’s international launch market, racking up superlatives from the highest number of annual launches to the largest mass to orbit to the most satellites in orbit.
But in this case, America’s success is SpaceX’s success. More than five out of every six US launches is a SpaceX mission, according to the report.
“The United States finds itself in the enviable yet challenging position of world leader in launch, yet with a relatively consolidated market,” the report says. “With a tranche of new companies vying to challenge SpaceX’s dominance, it will be crucial for federal officials to carefully calibrate policies that shape the market.
Recommendations: While there’s nothing wrong with SpaceX’s achievements—the report acknowledged that SpaceX’s ability to provide “regular, reliable and relatively affordable” launches is a big win for the industry—having competitors in the industry is important for both driving innovation and providing a back up, especially in the face of national security threats.
The report urges the government to take several steps to support that goal, including:
- Buy more small launch vehicle missions to boost competition in the industry
- Award launches to multiple companies to increase resilience in the launch sector
- Invest in in-space transportation tech
- Increase launch capacity and promote resilience at the nation’s launchpads
