Do Private Space Companies Help the U.S.?

Private space companies have a very good effect on the space program. But not all the time it's a good effect. Private space companies have been in the program for a long time but just recently people have made controversy over it. The main part of the controversy is if private companies are safe or not. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) are helping private companies because they think it will help in producing space exploration equipment and let space exploration be taken to the next level. Other people think that this is a bad idea because it can lead to things like people getting hurt or it can destroy the community of space exploration.

The history of space exploration goes far back all the way to when the space program had first appeared. Private companies very early worked with the government and military space organizations or evolved in aerospace manufacturing businesses (Evans). At this point Experts?would agree that American astronauts and cargo will be moved on privately built rockets (Get NASA out of the rocket business). Private companies were looking good at this time and not very many people complained about them but, later in the years is when people started controversy saying that private companies could damage the space program and maybe even end it.

Space exploration takes a lot of money and resources to accomplish tasks. That's why NASA let private groups help them by advancing space flight, researching and making new tech, promoting interest for space and influencing government decisions on space flight (Privatized Space Exploration Has Disadvantages and Benefits). One of the reasons NASA wants private companies is so they can take over the development of space vehicles because the vehicles will be cheaper and it will be easier for NASA the U.S. and the government. Having private companies take over would be cost efficient and save time for them. The best known private company is?Space?Exploration?Technologies (SpaceX), founded by Elon Musk, who had established paypal, an Internet company that is used for?online purchases. In September 2008,?SpaceX lifted of the Falcon 1 rocket from a U.S. army base?and became the first privately owned and developed rocket to orbit Earth (SpaceX Wins Contract).

Private companies don't only do good things. Private companies wanted to return to the moon which would have costed a lot of money for the U.S. to do but the U.S. has already explored the moon with men and robots/satellites (National Debate Topic 2011-12) To travel to space it could cost millions of dollars just for 1 trip with only 10 people so instead of sending humans to space they can just send robotic probes, satellites, and rovers because they can explore quicker and if anything happens to them it won't really matter (National Debate Topic 2011-12).

The space program should be maintained by the government and strict regulations should be enforced.?The presence of private companies could jeopardize both individual lives and the future of the program (The Privatization of Space Exploration). So private companies are not equipped to explore space and will most likely fail.

Private companies have a lot of good features about them so in my opinion private companies can help space exploration be taken to the next level. SpaceX, One of the most popular private companies is even launching their own rockets into space without the help of NASA. So, these companies will improve space exploration so far that maybe even regular people will be able to fly in a rocket ship and explore space (The Privatization of Space Exploration). If private companies take over the development of the ships they will be cheaper better and it will give more time to NASA so they can produce equipment or plan trips to other planets (Haerens 96). The United States should travel to mars because it would give NASA and other private companies the chance to make history and find new discoveries. Doing that would also be very inspiring around the world and it would show people that private companies are a big help to space exploration (""National Debate Topic 2011-12). The U.S. space program is currently following the correct path by letting?private companies work with the government.

Works Cited

Evans, Kim Masters. ""Space Organizations Part 2: U.S. Military, Foreign, and Private."" Space Exploration: Triumphs and Tragedies, 2010 ed., Gale, 2010. Information Plus Reference Series. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ1772000103/OVIC?u=beav15010&sid=OVIC&xid=644642cd. Accessed 1 Nov. 2018.

""Get NASA Out of the Rocket Business."" USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2018, pp. A.5. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Haerens, Margaret. NASA. Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2012.

""National Debate Topic 2011-12: Expanding the Space Program: Resolved: The U.S. federal government should substantially increase its exploration and/or development of space beyond the Earth's mesosphere."" Issues & Controversies, Infobase Learning, 31 May 2011,https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2631. Accessed 8 Nov. 2018.

""The Privatization of Space Exploration."" Gale Student Resources in Context, Gale, 2018. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2181500233/SUIC?u=beav15010&sid=SUIC&xid=b61b5310. Accessed 9 Nov. 2018.

""Privatized Space Exploration Has Disadvantages and Benefits."" Space Exploration, edited by Michael Ruth, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010989216/OVIC?u=beav15010&sid=OVIC&xid=b16dd950. Accessed 1 Nov. 2018. Originally published as ""Neil Armstrong Had Little Confidence in Privatized Space Travel,"", 26 Aug. 2012.

""SpaceX Wins Contract to Take U.S. Astronauts into Space."" Issues & Controversies, Infobase Learning, 4 Oct. 2010, https://icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=10115. Accessed 7 Nov. 2018.

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