We stand on the brink of a transformative era in space exploration: a shift from government-led to commercial-led activities off-planet. With this shift comes the need to recognize that the United States commercial space industry will play a pivotal role in maintaining the nation’s leadership in low Earth orbit (LEO). And while NASA has long shouldered this responsibility, its commitment to pass the torch, to foster commercial partnerships and support commercial space development, is falling short. The new Trump administration has a unique opportunity to ensure that American leadership is not usurped by our fiercest geopolitical adversary, China. To maintain U.S. leadership, the government must act with urgency to support a smaller number of companies most likely to achieve success in the critical foothold of LEO.
For a quarter of a century, the U.S. has benefited from sustaining a continuous human presence in space on the International Space Station (ISS), a strategy that China is emulating with its Tiangong space station, which has been continuously crewed since 2022. Through the ISS achievement, the U.S. not only advanced scientific understanding but also brought nations together and spurred economic growth through uncontested leadership. However, with the ISS set to retire by the end of this decade, it is imperative to transition from a government-run space station to a robust commercial space framework. This transition is essential to ensuring U.S. presence, enabling discovery, fueling our space economy and safeguarding our strategic priorities in space.
A commercial platform will continue to support the nation’s needs at a much lower cost than the ISS while stimulating a new generation of technologies that will revolutionize our economy and preserve the national asset that is our LEO workforce. Hard-working Americans in this microgravity industry are the lifeblood of what makes America great and will ensure the Chinese never surpass us in space technology.
NASA’s current strategy for the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, while well-intentioned, lacks the urgency necessary to maintain human presence in LEO by the 2030 deadline. It’s particularly lax when it comes to the acquisition of commercial services from private space stations for the post-ISS era, and it dilutes limited resources across too many companies, threatening the viability of the entire industry. This dispersed approach is stifling the growth of the commercial space market, U.S. entrepreneurship and American innovation. It also threatens to create a gap in LEO — a gap that will only benefit China and its ambitions to be the leader in space technology.
China’s advancements in space exploration serve as a stark reminder of the competitive landscape we face. If America accepts a gap in continuous human presence in Earth’s orbit, we would be undermining the decades of work performed to position the U.S. as a leader of nations in space and as a force behind the advancement of civilization and our technological superiority. Countries around the world recognize the criticality of LEO and are looking to unleash its potential; without a strong U.S. presence, governments could migrate toward China to secure their own national interests.
The first Trump administration was marked by its strong support for space initiatives, from creating the Artemis campaign and its Moon to Mars programs, to the establishment of the U.S. Space Force, which celebrated its 5th anniversary on Dec. 20. Trump’s space initiatives have been amplified by international and institutional support and have marked the U.S. as the world leader within the space domain. The new Trump administration has an opportunity to take bold and decisive action once again, this time defining LEO for generations to come — ringing in an era of commercial space that is safe, secure and prosperous.
By concentrating resources on a smaller number of companies, we can cultivate a more robust market demand for commercial space services. By focusing limited resources on fewer commercial partners when acquiring services from the commercial industry, we can enhance investor confidence and develop the operational capabilities necessary to maintain a continuous human presence in LEO, and overcome the greatest immediate threat to U.S. preeminence in space in this decade. The most important part of the acquisition is not the funding, albeit important, but rather the signal to markets and potential customers that the federal government has confidence in particular LEO service providers.
In the fast-paced arena of space exploration, timely decision-making is paramount. Delays in implementation can result in missed opportunities and loss of global power. The new administration can ensure NASA’s CLD initiative is prioritized and adequately supported. Decisive action will demonstrate to our allies and China that the U.S. will not cede this leadership, or domain, and will rally other countries to join us.
This approach of maximizing investments by selecting fewer companies to offer services, not only supports the sustainability and quality of individual missions but also promotes the longevity of the entire LEO ecosystem, enhancing America’s national security, invigorating the economy and inspiring a new generation of explorers and innovators.
The combination of NASA’s ambitious commercialization proclamations with the reality of its slow follow-through underscores the urgency for a strategic intervention. By forcing sharper focus on commercial space development, particularly on identifying the next U.S.-led space station, the administration can lay a solid foundation for sustained U.S. presence and leadership in space. The U.S. has long been a leader in space exploration, a position that is not only a matter of national pride but one of strategic importance. That leadership is contingent upon the ability to adapt quickly and effectively to the evolving landscape, and today, to quickly adjust from government-led to commercial-led space activities. With the new administration taking the helm, an exciting opportunity arises to enact meaningful change and drive remarkable progress. With bold and swift action, the U.S. can preserve its pioneering spirit, transcend terrestrial limits and sustain humanity’s journey beyond our planet.
Kam Ghaffarian is a space and energy entrepreneur behind several deep-tech companies dedicated to furthering human civilization. He co-founded and serves as executive chairman of multiple companies including X-energy, an advanced nuclear energy company; Axiom Space, building the first commercial space station; Quantum Space, creating infrastructure for deep space commerce; and PTX, a space engineering and technology firm. He is also the co-founder and chairman of Intuitive Machines, a space exploration services that became the first company to land on the Moon, and the founder and CEO of IBX, an innovation and investment firm that oversees the portfolio of companies he helped create.
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