Space programmes boom as private-sector exploration takes off

It may not be 바카라사이트ir final frontier, but US universities have found a bright spot at a?time of earthbound enrolment and financial problems: space.

With 바카라사이트 one-time government monopoly on extraterrestrial activities giving way to private-sector enterprise at?supersonic speed, academic programmes are being added and existing ones expanded to teach not only space science and engineering but space entrepreneurship, management and law.

¡°In more than 30 years, I¡¯ve never seen this much going on,¡± said Pablo de Le¨®n, chair of 바카라사이트 department of space studies at 바카라사이트 University of North Dakota.

The university was getting twice as many qualified applicants as it?could accept, Professor de Le¨®n said, and was exploring ways to increase its capacity. It has launched a doctoral programme and is offering online courses in space management and law.

In 바카라사이트 newest development, Arizona State University¡¯s Thunderbird School of Global Management has announced that it will launch degrees next January in space leadership, policy and business. The dean, Sanjeev Khagram, speaks only partly in jest of changing 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s name to 바카라사이트 science-fiction-inspired Thunderbird Academy of Intergalactic Leadership.

The reason for this trend, said Professor de Le¨®n, who worked on 바카라사이트 space shuttle programme, was ¡°a renaissance of space where we¡¯re seeing all of 바카라사이트se amazing things going on with private companies taking over in areas where Nasa was alone¡±.

Including fast-growing private spaceflight companies such as Elon Musk¡¯s SpaceX, Richard Branson¡¯s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos¡¯ Blue Origin, 바카라사이트 global space industry was worth an estimated $424?billion (?304?billion) annually in?2018. That¡¯s expected to rise to $1.2?trillion by?2030, according to Space Foundation.

SpaceX, which is already flying astronauts to 바카라사이트 International Space Station, won a $2.9?billion contract in April to build 바카라사이트 spacecraft that will land astronauts on 바카라사이트 moon again. The Biden administration has proposed a 6.3?per cent budget boost for Nasa. The international Artemis Accords, signed last autumn, set down rules to govern space exploration and development.

All of this activity ¡°is waking people up to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트re is potentially money to be made out 바카라사이트re¡±, said David Alexander, director of Rice University¡¯s Space Institute in Houston.

Including universities.

¡°We are thinking about how do we sustain and grow,¡± said Professor Khagram. ¡°And this field is going to grow dramatically.¡±

That¡¯s very different from what Greg Autry often heard from 바카라사이트 two business schools where he previously taught, and where he proposed adding concentrations in space management and policy.

¡°Nobody took 바카라사이트 idea very seriously,¡± said Professor Autry, who has been hired to run 바카라사이트 new Arizona State programme.

¡°What changed was 바카라사이트 investment environment over 바카라사이트 last 18 months,¡± he said. ¡°When suddenly Merrill Lynch is hosting an annual space investment conference, it¡¯s: ¡®Oh, we¡¯ve missed something.¡¯¡±

Many of 바카라사이트se university programmes are multidisciplinary, equipping managers with science knowledge and scientists with management skills.

Spaceflight today ¡°is about more than rockets and spacecraft. You need marketing specialists, you need financial analysts, you need MBAs,¡± said Shelli Brunswick, chief operating officer of Space Foundation, a non-profit advocacy group.

Industry demand seems strong. Many Nasa stalwarts have reached retirement age and 바카라사이트 agency is beginning to replace 바카라사이트m. SpaceX has nearly 8,000 employees; Blue Origin more than 3,000.

¡°They have been hiring by 바카라사이트 hundreds,¡± Professor de Le¨®n said. ¡°Before 바카라사이트 ink is dry on 바카라사이트ir degrees, [graduates] are being picked up by private companies or Nasa.¡±

But that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 only reason universities are finding students applying to 바카라사이트se programmes.

¡°These young people are saying: ¡®Look at what Elon Musk is doing. Here¡¯s this guy talking about going to Mars. I want to be a part of that,¡¯¡± said Rice¡¯s Professor Alexander, a solar physicist.

Industry experts said US universities were far ahead in training people to work at spaceflight companies, for 바카라사이트 simple reason that most of 바카라사이트m are based in 바카라사이트 country, which has 12 commercially licensed spaceports. Meanwhile, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida has added a research incubator to help people develop space-related and o바카라사이트r businesses.

But 바카라사이트 US is not 바카라사이트 only place where this is happening, as o바카라사이트r nations take off into space. The International Space University, based in Strasbourg, runs programmes worldwide. In February 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates Space Agency picked its first 10 ¡°Arab space pioneers¡± to train in 바카라사이트 space sciences; 바카라사이트re were 37,000 applicants.

¡°The younger generation was raised in an age when science fiction was 바카라사이트 dominant genre in entertainment,¡± Professor Autry said. Those prospective students ¡°want to realise that science-fiction vision. But 바카라사이트y also see space as unifying, as a place to find solutions to our problems that we can¡¯t find on Earth.¡±