SpaceX surprised us yesterday by announcing that it was sending two private individuals to a trip around the moon. The journey which is expected to take place late next year, would mark the deepest foray of humans into space and will see the company’s ingenuity put to the test. In its letter yesterday, SpaceX mentioned NASA and thanked the US space agency for its help. Well, NASA today issued an official statement commending the private company’s efforts in the field.
NASA is undoubtedly the pioneer of space research. The organization launched its efforts back when the rest of the world was still busy coming to terms with computers, and Internet was a tool used by the defense and the army. At that time, NASA did things no one would have thought possible, including sending humans to tread the surface of the moon. So yeah, the organization is probably quite a few years ahead of its peers in the field.
More importantly, NASA is known for encouraging private efforts in space exploration. Apart from providing financial and technical aid to upcoming startups in the field, NASA has also started contracting out its missions to private organizations. Issuing contracts not only reduces cost for the government agency, but also helps these organizations survive in what is a very resource intensive industry with relatively few customers. So yeah, it is almost like a kindly old godfather, helping kiddies launch their rockets.
The organization is also indirectly helping SpaceX with its planned launch of two private individuals to the moon. The launch is important not only because it will mark the first time that two non-astronauts are going deeper into space than humans have ever ventures, but also because it will open up space exploration to private customers.
SpaceX called out and mentioned NASA by its name in the post announcing the trip yesterday and today, the US Space research organization issued a statement, lauding the Elon Musk led company for its efforts.
NASA commends its industry partners for reaching higher.
We will work closely with SpaceX to ensure it safely meets the contractual obligations to return the launch of astronauts to U.S. soil and continue to successfully deliver supplies to the International Space Station.
For more than a decade, NASA has invested in private industry to develop capabilities for the American people and seed commercial innovation to advance humanity’s future in space.
NASA is changing the way it does business through its commercial partnerships to help build a strong American space economy and free the agency to focus on developing the next-generation rocket, spacecraft and systems to go beyond the moon and sustain deep space exploration.
Prior to launching the two private individuals — who are sponsoring their own trip and whose identities remain hidden — SpaceX will complete a couple of trips for NASA. While one of them will involve supplies, the other will see SpaceX transporting NASA astronauts to the International Space Station sometime next year.
