Commercial Space Flight -- Navigating the Gravitational Pull of Budget Cuts

On May 2, NASA announced that Congressional funding cuts in the Commercial Crew Program have delayed its plans to transport U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station using commercial launch services offered by U.S. companies. In Commercial Space Flight: Recent Turbulence and Promising Future?, Crowell & Moring attorneys discuss NASA's plans to replace the space shuttle with commercially operated space lift capabilities, recent setbacks in those plans, and the potential future trajectory of the commercial space flight industry.