In 1970, the crew aboard Apollo 13 called back to Earth to report the catastrophic failure of its oxygen supply. Their famous phrase “Houston, we have a problem” and the subsequent solution piqued the national imagination, representing the indomitable resolve and ingenuity of America’s space program.

Since then, the public appetite for space has declined. Today, we have a piecemeal, inconsistent approach to space exploration, largely dominated by private efforts. While these companies are continuing to achieve breakthroughs, this dog-eat-dog approach is not helping the nation innovate fast enough.

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