We pride ourselves on being a place for the space community to convene, share ideas, and debate the best path. Often, that looks like our in-person happy hours and summits, where we can get face time, but that also includes publishing thought-provoking opinion pieces from some of the top industry voices.
Here are five of our top op-eds published in 2025:
- NASA’s New CLD Strategy Will Lose Mars, LEO to China. Pam Melroy, former NASA deputy administrator and astronaut, wrote: “As a former space shuttle pilot and commander whose crews helped build the ISS, I am appalled that NASA has reportedly changed its plans for future commercial space stations. As we prepare to celebrate 25 years of Americans continuously living in space in November, these changes will result in NASA giving up its continuous human presence in space after the ISS is deorbited.”
- Space Science Is Part of the Space Race with China. Yale University Grad Student Maxwell Zhu and The Planetary Society Space Policy Chief Casey Dreier wrote: “Senators will hear from witnesses this week on how the US can beat China in the new ‘space race”’to return humans to the Moon. China’s space ambitions, however, extend far beyond cislunar space. Beijing is pressing ahead with an ambitious space science effort designed to close the gap with—or even exceed—US capabilities in the coming decades. If our elected leaders believe that America’s continued leadership in space is paramount, they must press our national lead in space science.”
- Congress Must Act to Prevent Gap in Microgravity Research. Eight space leaders wrote: “Microgravity research produces transformative discoveries that are changing our world, and enabling a new scientific and industrial revolution. However, with the International Space Station—one of the most frequently used platforms for microgravity research—nearing retirement, it’s time for Congress to ensure industry can maintain access to microgravity for life-changing research—and to ensure the US can maintain its leadership in an area where China is hot on its heels.”
- The EU Space Act Will Stifle Innovation And Hurt US Space Companies. Former Office of Space Commerce chief Kevin O’Connell and CSIS Senior Fellow Clayton Swope wrote: “Today, Europe stands poised to enact another sweeping regulation with a familiar formula—a laudable raison d’être with a reasonable-sounding goal. The EU Space Act, published in June, would establish a unified, EU-wide approach to regulating space activities, and address issues related to space safety, resiliency, and sustainability. However, the space act is poised to unleash a Pandora’s box of consequences, including putting a brake on innovation and raising the costs of doing business in space.”
- As Satellite Collision Risks Increase, Ephemeris Sharing is Vital. Kayhan Space Cofounder and CTO Araz Feyzi wrote: “As the number of satellites in LEO continues to grow exponentially, when it comes to a satellite’s location, sharing is caring. Varying predictions have the satellite population in LEO increasing by two- to six-fold by the end of this decade. That is a phenomenal growth rate that will provide an abundance of new services and capabilities here on Earth, but it is not without consequences. More sats zooming around means more collision warnings and more maneuvering in orbit—something companies could help avoid by sharing precise location data with other operators.”
