Public Policy

    Public policy is an integral aspect to opening doors of opportunity for bringing low cost spaceflight to everyone. With the close of NASA's Space Shuttle program, STAR Systems is looking to help fill the void in space transportation with low cost, high frequency access to suborbital space on-demand for space tourists, academia and technology developers. Our primary goal is to serve as a resource of information and expertise and to aid Congress and state lawmakers in making informed decisions and policies that allow the United States to remain on the cusp of what is sure to become a competitive global market in the emerging space race of private ventures.

What Is Public Policy?

    Public policy is generally defined as actions and policies that lawmakers and policy makers establish regarding a certain subject. It is often referred to as government relations or lobbying. Believe it or not, lawmakers do not know everything there is to know. They are very busy people, having their own specialized career background, and have high demands on their time. Naturally, it is not possible to be fully aware of the every need and interest of any given person, industry and/or consideration. The purpose of lobbying is to raise awareness about these needs and interests, particularly to the attention of lawmakers, so that proper actions and policies can be established to appropriately govern and regulate that consideration. Not suprisingly, public policy serves as a specialized career all in itself. Since private, commercial spaceflight is still in a pioneering state, it is very important to work closely with lawmakers and government agencies to ensure that proper policies and regulations are in place to protect citizens while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit and the forward progress of commercial space transportation.

Our Public Policy Goals

    The public policy goals of STAR Systems were initially established and declared in its founding resolution titled "Reinvigorating the Hermes Spacecraft Project" (STARSYS-RES-2011-011, Section 4.8) which was signed into action by the managers of the project on October 16th, 2011. In that document the managers resolved to:

  • "develop relationships and a good rapport with the Congress of the United States and any state legislatures and government instrumentalities as may be deemed appropriate and necessary" (Section 4.8e)
  • "serve as a resource of information and expertise on matters concerning the aerospace industry, and specifically those concerning the research and development of private, commercial spaceflight" (Section 4.8f)
  • "be mindful, considerate and good stewards of the impact of the Company on external interests and society as a whole" (Section 4.8h)

Our Current Best Thinking on Public Policy

    Our public policy goals are driven by our commitment to well and faithfully serve the needs of customers and be good stewards of the interests of all stakeholders impacted by STAR Systems. Whether that be supporters, allies or competitors alike, the interests of all stakeholders are important to us. We value advocating informed and just policies and decisions and welcome any and all, supporters and competitors alike, in joining us to work together in cooperation, as one in agreement, to break down prohibitive barriers-to-entry and pave the way for private, commercial spaceflight.

More Information

    For more information on current space policy of the United States, please refer to the following:

We Value Your Comments

    We at STAR Systems would like to humbly acknowledge that we also do not know everything there is to know, nor have we thought of every idea there is to think of regarding aerospace public policy. As a result, we welcome any knowledge and ideas that you may have regarding aerospace public policy that may prove beneficial to the industry and society as a whole. Please feel free to comment below.