The next space race isn't likely to happen between two dinosaur bureaucracies. It's happening between a handful of profit-seeking companies, many of which are based in Mojave, California. And that's a good thing -- particularly if NASA will stop hogging the resources. Yes, I posted this clip because it's cool. But I also wanted to peg it to a few random thoughts about the industry:
- First, this fledgling private space industry is a good example of counter-crowdout -- that is, private companies out-competing government or heavily subsidized industries. Most entrepreneurs are afraid to play where the government and its supplicants have taken over the sand box. But they shouldn't be. This goes for schools, space and agriculture.
- Second, XCor is one of the companies on the leading edge of this industry. Sprinkle XCor in among names like Musk, Branson and Rutan and you've got an interesting cast of characters -- not to mention entrepreneurs.
- Third, private space could make a lot of really interesting things possible. For one thing, imagine mining asteroids. MIning asteroids? Low cost space flight could make this entirely possible. So Malthusians worried about running out of minerals on earth should take heart: there are plenty of asteroids in outer space. Imagine also the possibilities for colonizing space. It will happen eventually. And if we let the space capitalists loose, we won't have to wait around another 100 years for NASA to get its act together.
- Fourth, many of the space capitalists may leave California for New Mexico because taxes are lower. California continues to kill the geese that lay golden eggs. I'm just saying.
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