Space Is Once Again A Growth Industry. Will Georgia Be Left Behind?
By now you’ve likely seen the video of SpaceX catching its rocket booster as it returned to the launchpad. It was an amazing feat, done successfully on the first try, to the cheers of SpaceX employees.
We’re embarking on an era of private space travel and exploration. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and others lead the way.
The costs of launching rockets into space have dropped dramatically, opening up the possibility of space tourism, exploration, and other markets previously the province of science fiction.
Also, don’t let the “wow” factor distract from SpaceX’s overall achievement—the reusability of its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy—and what it could mean going forward. In the recent analysis “Space Possibilities for Our Grandchildren: Current and Future Economic Uses of Space” for the European Commission, Alessio Terzi and Francesco Nicoli point out that the “advent of reusable rocket technology (spearheaded by SpaceX in 2016) constitutes a watershed moment” in mitigating the cost constraints that were limiting the economic potential of space.
Reusability, which enables multiple flights with minimal post-landing refurbishment, has dramatically cut per-launch costs. This innovation, combined with vertical integration, standardization, and rapid iteration (SpaceX learns from rocket failures), forms the core of SpaceX’s cost-reduction strategy—which, in turn, has pressured the entire sector to reduce costs and pricing.
The race to reap the economic benefits of the coming space boom has already begun. The question is, what role will Georgia play in this new, frontier?
Georgia Tech is on the cutting edge of space research with its Space Research Initiative. Tech’s leadership in this field will bring tremendous economic benefit to Georgia as this industry continues to grow. However, voters’ rejection of Spaceport Camden could prevent Georgia from being a player in the burgeoning commercial space industry that SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic represent.
As the dust settles on the Spaceport Camden saga, one thing is clear: the story of this small Georgia county’s pursuit of a place in the space industry will be remembered as a cautionary tale about the challenges and pitfalls of chasing a dream without fully reckoning with the realities on the ground. Whether Camden County will find a new path forward remains to be seen, but the lessons learned from this experience will undoubtedly shape the future of commercial spaceport development in the United States and beyond.
Georgia’s leaders shouldn’t abandon the dream of bringing the space industry to Georgia. The competition with Texas and Florida is fierce, but by working together, Georgia can attract jobs and reap the economic benefits while mitigating the risks to the environment and our citizens.
This industry is too important to the future to ignore.
