White Papers

Wednesday June 15, 2022

    Introduction | After a decades-long hibernation, nuclear fission power has come back into fashion for NASA and other agencies as a way to deliver power to remote locations and drive spacecraft at speeds other fuels cannot deliver. What brought back programs shelved since the 1970s are new, safer…

Monday April 4, 2022

Introduction | With 15 new launch vehicles expected to make maiden flights this year, 2022 is set to be the busiest year for new rockets since the dawn of the Space Age. The firms involved span from industry standards Arianespace and ULA to new firms with only a few dozen…

Saturday January 22, 2022

Introduction | Mankind could soon be able to exploit asteroids to obtain natural resources for use on Earth, gather ingredients for missions in space, and support habitation on the Moon and Mars. In the following article, some leading industry experts discuss how to mine in the absence of gravity, how…

Tuesday August 24, 2021

This article was first published in August 2021. Introduction | Advancements in space nuclear power and propulsion are essential for maintaining a safe and secure space environment, achieving an enduring human and robotic presence in deep space, and expanding commercial activity in and beyond traditional Earth orbits. Thanks to a…

Saturday December 26, 2020

Introduction | As the exponential growth of commercial space looms, this is a good time to survey several critical aspects of intellectual property (IP) as an enabler of innovation in commercial space. This article begins with a review of the vital role of IP in promoting innovation and an overview…

Tuesday December 1, 2020

  This paper was first published in December 2020. Introduction | Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt in 1972 were the last of a dozen men to walk on the Moon. For the past 48 years, lunar exploration has been largely replaced by deep space exploration, space station…