A Plan B for space? On the risks of concentrating national space power in private hands

What does it mean for national security if access to Earth’s orbit depends largely on one company?

By: Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Johns Hopkins University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 3, 2026

Words: 1,230

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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By Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Johns Hopkins University

Private companies are no longer peripheral participants in U.S. space activities. They provide key services, including launching and deploying satellites, transporting cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, and even sending landers to the Moon.

Commercial integration is now embedded in U.S. space policy and shapes national space strategy. As someone who studies space and international security, I have watched the extraordinary rise …

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