over 40 years ago a small step marked a giant leap in mankind its time to take the next one- space

Our Future in Space

For over 30 years, the Space Shuttle represented the pinnacle of human achievement in space, demonstrating reliability, reusability, and versatility over hundreds of millions of miles flown. With the last flight of the Space Shuttle scheduled for later this summer, the United States will no longer have a way to fly astronauts into space.


There is an alternative. A new generation of Americans is looking for ways to explore ever-deeper into the cosmos, and U.S. companies have risen to the challenge, determined to bring American ingenuity, hard work, and high-technology manufacturing to bear in ending a period during which the U.S. will have no option but to rely on foreign governments to carry crew to the International Space Station (ISS).


The commercial space market offers an efficient and reliable solution to maintaining US human space flight capabilities, jobs, and technological infrastructure. Already, two U.S. companies are building new space transportation systems to carry cargo and supplies to the International Space Station, with flights on track to begin later this year. And, for more than 20 years, commercial space companies – private, non-government companies that build launch vehicles and spacecraft – have been providing America solutions for accessing space.

With a fraction of the funds the government sends overseas to purchase foreign vehicles, American companies can develop vehicles for the transport of astronauts. This commercial approach reinvests hundreds of millions of dollars into the U.S. economy, energizes domestic manufacturing and high-technology, creates jobs, inspires a new generation of engineers and entrepreneurs, and maintains our country’s leadership in space, especially in fields such as materials research, pharmaceuticals development, and even tourism. Leveraging private capital to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective crew transportation to low Earth Orbit also supports NASA’s efforts in space exploration by providing substantial cost savings that can be utilized as NASA develops systems to explore our solar system.

The future of the space program is in your hands. Prior generations saw the Moon landing – now it’s time for you to take the next step. Please take a few minutes to send your message to Congress and share your thoughts on why you support commercial spaceflight in NASA's budget.
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