Making Space Work for Us, a project of PPI, seeks to promote policies that preserve American leadership in space and harness the benefits of space for all people here on Earth.
The pioneering and entrepreneurial American spirit has consistently driven the country to push out the frontier of what can be achieved. There is no better example than our space program, which landed the first man on the Moon and has sent probes beyond our galaxy. As we enter a new Golden Age of space exploration, the country needs to ensure its policy and regulatory framework enables continued innovation and scientific discovery.
This matters more now than ever as the United States is engaged in a modern-day space race with China that has significant economic and national security implications. Losing space leadership would be catastrophic for our global standing and economy. However, United States space leadership doesn’t mean going it alone. Collaborating with partners and allies — intentionally through mission partnerships as well as through comingled supply chains — allows us to go farther and faster.
Beyond the geopolitical implications, space leadership also delivers substantial benefits to everyday people. Weather information from space keeps individuals safe during natural disasters. Broadband satellites keep Americans connected in more places than ever — and make internet access available to more people than ever before. Space jobs across the country pay higher wages than other industries for positions ranging from rocket scientists to welders. And technologies from our space program, from memory foam mattresses to heart pumps, make lives better and healthier.
Making Space Work for Us will put forward bold and pragmatic policy solutions that keep the U.S. competitive and ensure policymakers squeeze every ounce of terrestrial benefit out of the space economy.