Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 May 27:1:15001.
doi: 10.1038/npjmgrav.2015.1. eCollection 2015.

The economics of microgravity research

Jeanne M DiFrancesco  1 , John M Olson  2
Affiliations
Review

The economics of microgravity research

Jeanne M DiFrancesco et al. NPJ Microgravity. .

Abstract

In this introduction to the economics of microgravity research, DiFrancesco and Olson explore the existing landscape and begin to define the requirements for a robust, well-funded microgravity research environment. This work chronicles the history, the opportunities, and how the decisions made today will shape the future. The past 60 years have seen tremendous growth in the capabilities and resources available to conduct microgravity science. However, we are now at an inflection point for the future of humanity in space. A confluence of factors including the rise of commercialization, a shifting funding landscape, and a growing international presence in space exploration, and terrestrial research platforms are shaping the conditions for full-scale microgravity research programs. In this first discussion, the authors focus on the concepts of markets, tangible and intangible value, research pathways and their implications for investments in research projects, and the collateral platforms needed. The opportunities and implications for adopting new approaches to funding and market-making illuminate how decisions made today will affect the speed of advances the community will be able to achieve in the future.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Research pathways.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Committee on Microgravity Research. Microgravity Research in Support of Technologies for the Human Exploration and Development of Space and Planetary Bodies. National Research Council, 2000.
    1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Microgravity Research Division. NASA’s microgravity research program 1998 annual report. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Report no. NASA/TM-1999-209757, 1998.
    1. President ObamaNational Space Policy of the United States of America. The White House, 2010.
    1. Office of the Inspector General. NASA’s efforts to maximize research on the international space station. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Report no.: IG-13-019 (8 July 2013). http://oig.nasa.gov/audits/reports/FY13/IG-13-019.pdf. Accessed 23 December 2014.
    1. US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. The NASA Authorization Act of 2010. http://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Legislation&Conten... 1 January 2015.

LinkOut - more resources