This book offers a comprehensive overview of current space exploration in terms of geopolitical and commercial aspects. Despite multiple attempts to foster commercial activities in the field of space exploration, for decades the domain largely continued to be funded and led by governments in the form of national and international programmes. However, the situation changed with the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the introduction of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) programme, which employed an innovative procurement scheme based on competitive, performance-based, fixed-price milestones. The success of this programme marked an important milestone in the evolution of the relationship between government and industry. The growing opportunities for private actors to make more prominent contributions to space exploration also lie in the “New Space” ecosystem, a sectoral transformation characterised by a substantial increase in private investment and the emergence of commercial efforts to develop disruptive concepts and address new markets.

This study investigates and analyzes historical episodes in America in which the federal government undertook public-private efforts to complete critical activities valued for their public good. This combination largely resulted from a lack of either sufficient political will to fund them entirely out of the public treasury or insufficient profit motive for private firms to undertake them for purely business reasons. The six case studies include the following: 1) the development of the transcontinental railroad, supported by a unique land-grant approach to subsidy; 2) support for the airline industry through legislation, appropriate regulation, and subsidies to grow a robust air transport capability; 3) the regulatory regime put into place with the rise of the telephone industry and the creation of a government-sponsored monopoly that eventually had to be broken up; 4) government sponsorship of Antarctic scientific stations that evolved into a public-private partnership (PPP) over time; 5) the fostering of a range of public works projects and their success or failure over time; and 6) the establishment of scenic and cultural conservation zones in the United States and ways to balance economic development with preservation.

This edited book brings together a diverse range of chapters on space related topics. The authors included in this book are drawn from Australia and overseas, from academia, government, industry, civil society and the military. This book contains chapters that cover topics such as law, science, archaeology, defence, policy, and more, all with a focus on space. This edited collection is a timely international and interdisciplinary book, which addresses some of the contemporary issues facing activities in space and those attempting to understand, use and regulate the space domain. This edited book seeks to normalise the role of women as experts in the space sector, by not calling attention to the fact that all the authors are women – they are all experts in their respective fields who just happen to be women. Bringing together these contributions in this book in turn promotes the inclusion of diversity in the space sector. This edited collection is an opportunity to influence the development of the space industry – in terms of gender diversity, and diversity of disciplines and thinking – while it is in its formative stage, rather than trying to redress imbalances once they are entrenched in the industry.