Accelerating entrepreneurial space: The case for an NACA-style organization

The entrepreneurial space industry today faces challenges similar to those facing the commercial aircraft industry in the early part of the last century. At that time the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) helped develop many of the key technologies that enabled air travel to become effective, economical and safe. Today, in discussing how best to support the realization of a commercial space economy, we suggest revisiting what an NACA-style organization can contribute. This paper outlines the key concepts that made the NACA so successful: a committee structure, open source publication, a willingness to try any useful experimental method, and a focus on problem definition.