【Scenario】
Oneofthebigquestionstodowiththefledglingcommercialspaceflightindustrywas:whatwouldbetheregulator'srole?ThatwasansweredtosomedegreewhenCongresspassedintolawtheCommercialSpaceLaunchAmendmentsActonDecember23,2004.ThisActeffectivelygavecommercialspaceshipoperatorseightyears—until2012—toflyfreeofregulationfromtheFAA.TheActalsoclarifiedthatifanyonegothurtorevenhadaclosecallonaspaceship,thegovernmentcouldthenstepinandimposeregulations,butfornowinnovationsweretobeentirelyunrestricted.
【MainText】
TheX-Prizewincertainlychangedtheworld'sperceptionofcommercialspaceflightandtherewasarapidinfluxofmoneyintoallkindsofnewventures.Surprisingly,evenNASAstartedworkingwiththesespaceentrepreneurs.PresidentBushhadannouncedinJanuary2005hewantedNASAtosendpeoplebacktothemoonby2020andfromthereontoMars.SpurredbythesuccessofSpaceShipOneandtheallureofbeingabletoworkonaprojectwithouttheusualrestrictivebudgetaryandadministrativeconstraints,NASAannouncedthatitwouldspend$3milliononadesignstudytocomeupwithideasforhowthenextgenerationspaceshipstoreturntothemoonshouldbeconfigured.
OneofthecompanieswhichrespondedtoNASA'sinvitationforproposalswasastart-upcalledTransformationalSpaceCorporationort/Space.ThenewcompanyproposedtoNASAthattheywouldcompletethe$3millionstudyandtheniftheirdesignwasapproved,theywouldthenbuildactualworkinghardwareasprototypes.IfNASAlikedwhatitsaw,itcouldthenprovidefurtherincrementalfundingfort/SpacetokeepbuildingnewequipmenttoreachfurtherdevelopmentmilestonesuntilNASAhadwhatwouldbeineffectafullyfunctioningspaceship.Ift/Spacedidn'treachitsmilestones,NASAcouldwalkawayandpursueotheroptions.Whilethismightsoundlikestandardcommercialpracticetomostcompanies,forNASAitwasactuallyaradicaldeparturefromthewaytheygenerallydidthings.
NASA'sgrowingopennesstoworkingwithprivatecompanieswasfurthersignaledinaspeechgivenbyNASA'snewlyappointedadministratorMikeGriffininJune2005whenheannouncedNASAintend-edtofundthedevelopmentofcommercialspaceshipstosupplytheInternationalSpaceStationwithcargoandcrew.ThefactthatNASAwouldbuyridesontheseflightsratherthantryingtodevelopandownthemoutrightwasasignificantpoint.InJanuary2006,NASAreleaseditsformalrequestsforproposalsundertheauspicesofanewprogramcalledCommercialOrbitalTransportationServices.