About Us

The Alliance for Space Development (ASD) is dedicated to influencing space policy toward the goals of space development and settlement. The founding, executive organizations are the National Space Society and the Space Frontier Foundation.

Alliance Goals:

  • Reducing the cost of access to space.
  • Stimulating and accelerating the growth of space industries.
  • Making the development and settlement of space a clearly defined part of why we are sending humans into space.

Short ASD Reports [PDF]:

Alliance Objectives for 2024

The alliance goals for 2024 were chiefly informed by the opportunity presented by the Commercial Space Act in the House of Representatives, which ASD worked to support in the second half of 2023.

  • Pass the Commercial Space Act (H.R. 6131) which ensures US space treaty compliance by “novel” commercial space activities.
    • Enable/Elevate the Office of Space Commerce
    • Study the commercial potential of Space Solar Power
    • Extend the “learning period” for human spaceflight
  • Improve Licensing of Space Launch and Elevate the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) to become a separate agency reporting directly to the Secretary of Transportation.

ASD also supports these secondary objectives, including the full budget request for Commercial LEO Destinations, the Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope, NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate budget, and passage of the ORBITS Act (S. 447).

ASD 2024 Objectives [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2023

  1. Extend the “learning period” limiting FAA regulation of commercial human space launch for another eight years.
  2. Initiate a clean energy technology demonstration of Space Solar Power beamed to Earth from low Earth orbit, deployed within five years.
  3. Protect Earth from hazardous asteroids by increasing funding for the NEO Surveyor space telescope, to help recover from major cuts in FY22 and FY23.
  4. Additional Objectives: Highlight the importance for space development of Commercial LEO Development, Commercial Crew Program, Lunar Gateway, Human Landing System, Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS), and Space Technology including in-situ resource utilization.

ASD 2023 Objectives [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2022

  1. Support commercial development of Low Earth Orbit by fully funding the LEO Commercialization Program including Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD)
  2. Support the Strategic Space Commodities Reserve.
  3. Keep developing and demonstrating Space Solar Power.
  4. Support planetary defense by fully funding NEO Surveyor Mission, a space based telescope optimized for detecting near Earth asteroids.

ASD 2022 Objectives [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2021

  1. Support planetary defense by fully funding NEOSM.
  2. Support commercial development of Low Earth Orbit by fully funding the LEO Commercialization Program.
  3. Support commercial development of the Lunar surface.
  4. Start developing and demonstrating Space Solar Power.

ASD 2021 Objectives [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2020

  1. Support planetary defense by fully funding NEOSM.
  2. Support commercial development of Low Earth Orbit by fully funding the LEO Commercialization Program.
  3. Support commercial development of the Lunar surface.
  4. Start developing and demonstrating Space Solar Power.

ASD 2020 Objectives [PDF].

Alliance Objectives for 2019

  1. Make space development and settlement part of NASA, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Space Commerce’s official mission. See draft Space Development and Settlement Act of 2019.
  2. Require the Office of Space Commerce to produce a Space Development Plan.
  3. Support planetary defense by moving NEOCam forward in fiscal year 2020.

More details [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2018

  1. Establish an Ultra Low Cost Access to Space (ULCATS) program based on public-private partnership and streamlined governmental policy and regulations (see DRAFT BILL).
  2. Ensure a gapless transition from ISS to private space stations in LEO, with NASA assisting with development and serving as an early customer (see DRAFT BILL)
  3. Enable cis-lunar development through a series of programs, such as:
    1. A public-private partnership to develop and demonstrate a re-usable lander based in cis-lunar space.
    2. Setting a price that NASA will pay for commodities (water,etc.) at locations in cis-lunar space.
    3. Purchasing data gathered by private companies on lunar resources (water, etc.).

See ASD 2017 Annual Report [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2017

  1. Establish an Ultra Low Cost Access to Space (ULCATS) program based on public-private partnership.
  2. Ensure a gapless transition from ISS to private space stations in LEO, with NASA assisting with development and serving as an early customer (see DRAFT BILL).
  3. Enable the development of a robust cis-Lunar economy based on commercial purchase of:
    A. Transportation services for crew and cargo.
    B. Fuel and Consumables derived from Lunar and asteroid resources.
  4. Make space development and settlement part of NASA’s official mission (see 2016 SUBMITTED BILL).

See ASD 2016 Annual Report [PDF]

Alliance Objectives for 2016

  1. Support full-funding for Commercial Crew program.
  2. Establish an Ultra Low Cost Access to Space (ULCATS) Prize (see DRAFT BILL).
  3. Pass the Commercial Space Industrialization Act
    1. Ensure a low-risk gapless transition from ISS to private space stations in LEO, with NASA serving as an early customer (see DRAFT BILL).
    2. Require commercial-style acquisition and development of lunar and asteroid resources.
    3. Clarify key issues in space property rights.
  4. Make space development and settlement part of NASA’s official mission (see SUBMITTED BILL).

See ASD 2015 Annual Report [PDF]

See Space News article: New Alliance To Promote Space Development and Settlement Policies

See letter to Space News: Alliance Focused on Space Development, Not the Destination.

Contact Us: info@allianceforspacedevelopment.org

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