Policy & Governance

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Science, Space, and Technology Committee approved an amendment to the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026 declaring that United States policy requires the fullest possible commercial use of space and a growing and enduring human presence beyond Earth.  The amendment was offered by Space Subcommittee Chair Mike Haridopolos (R-Fl-8) and co-sponsored by Science Ranking Member George Whitesides, along with Reps Nick Begich, Mike Kennedy, Mat

This edition of the SSP Bulletin highlights major industry awards, wireless power milestones, new funding announcements, and continued commercial momentum in space-based solar power.

As human presence in orbit reaches 25 years, the International Space Station stands as proof that large-scale partnerships and complex operations can succeed in space. The next phase must move beyond demonstration toward a productive low Earth orbit economy focused on tangible products, services, and sustained commercial demand.

A recent Senate hearing framed lunar competition too narrowly as a race to reach the Moon, rather than a strategic contest to build lasting infrastructure and economic value there. The Space Frontier Foundation argues that true leadership will come not from arrival alone, but from creating the systems, partnerships, and long-term vision needed for sustained activity on the lunar surface.

A Space Frontier Foundation Lunch & Learn at the U.S. Capitol examined how commercial partnerships and lunar policy can support long-term U.S. leadership and sustainable development on the Moon.

Public enthusiasm for space exploration is shaped not only by inspiration but also by powerful forces that dampen interest. This analysis outlines seven categories of “demotivators”—from competing societal priorities and ideological opposition to structural barriers and existential dread—that limit engagement with humanity’s expansion into space.

The Space Frontier Foundation welcomed the proposed cancellation of NASA’s Space Launch System after Artemis III, praising the shift toward commercial partnerships for lunar and Mars exploration. The organization argues that competitive, market-driven launch systems will create more sustainable and affordable pathways for human expansion beyond Earth.

As Congress debates whether the United States can lead in Low Earth Orbit, the Moon, and Mars simultaneously, the Space Frontier Foundation argues the question is framed incorrectly. Leadership in space will require mobilizing the full power of the American economy—using policy, finance, law, diplomacy, and procurement to enable a competitive private sector to build humanity’s next frontier.