Private transportation to outer space

Congratulations to SpaceX for completing its first mission to the International Space Station. The company ought to expand its capabilities and realize the vision of Elon Musk, its co-founder, to take human explorers to the moon and eventually to Mars.

But although the privatization of transportation to outer space is a welcome development, it should not herald the end of the leading role for American government in setting an agenda for our nation and financing the most advanced research.

Businesses serve the needs and wants of society, but for the most part only when clients or customers pay. Businesses, focused as they are and should be on financial success, may by themselves lack the ability to carry a nation forward. Certainly the dreams of Mr. Musk are enough to fire the imaginations of a great many people. Certainly the direction of large amounts of money by wealthy individuals toward projects of great historic significance fosters technological and social progress. But the resources of even a very big company are not likely to meet the requirements for a project as monumental as a trip by humans to another planet.

Few businesses have the wealth and will to invest in pure research for very long. Typically commercial concerns focus on short-range and sometimes medium-range goals. Research that does not promise to yield quick profits may never be completed--or may never even get started.

Governments (in democracies, the people) have powers beyond those of the commercial enterprise. They have resources to commit to projects that do not generate profits. And while private companies, motivated by strict financial considerations, can often be more efficient than governments in driving projects to successful completion, governments can decide what projects should be conducted when the payoff is only knowledge, the practical application thereof may only occur in some distant future. Governments thus provide vital benefits where businesses have nothing to gain by doing so.

Our government does not always, but can and should have greater vision than any other segment of society. The leaders of our country can take a long view and set the nation on a desired course despite concerns that important projects will not be profitable. Even though there are no good financial reasons now but good reasons nevertheless for exploring the limits of the observable universe, we the people, or our representatives, can decide to pursue this project.

While fictional adventures in outer space continue to engage moviegoers, Americans have not recently displayed much enthusiasm for real adventures beyond Earth. Often the advancements of one nation can be advancements for humanity. And yet while it may be natural or inevitable, the decline of a once powerful contributor to human history is a sad turn of events. Citizens of the United States are likely to pine for a place at the leading edge of science and technology when soon they will see the astronauts of China and then other countries surpassing the achievements of America in the 1960s and 70s. But our spirits would soar if the United States began again a valiant program of space exploration, whether in competition or cooperation with other countries.

Besides SpaceX, other companies are emerging to offer the means to transport cargo and people above Earth routinely: Orbital Sciences Corporation and Virgin Galactic are among them. Orbital, with its Pegasus rocket, has already launched more than 80 satellites. Virgin Galactic is now accepting reservations for tourists to take its planned flights outside our atmosphere.

Best wishes to Virgin Galactic, Orbital Sciences, and SpaceX--and to all others in the game. They have somewhat different missions. But they all look forward to continuing the movement of civilization beyond our planet. In the travels they have completed and have planned, they are carrying a good part of our hopes for the future of Americans and all humanity in outer space.