Tales from the Trenches - Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Life as a Serial Space Entrepreneur

Paper number

IAC-08.E6.1.7

Author

Mr. Charles Lauer, Rocketplane Global, Inc., United States

Year

2008

Abstract

For most of the history of the 50 years of the Space Age, “space” and “entrepreneur” were oxymorons.  Human spaceflight in particular has been exclusively the realm of government activity until 2001 when the twin breakthroughs of the Dennis Tito flight to the International Space Station and the Ansari family funding the X Prize changed the game forever.  Nevertheless, space has been singing its Siren Song to the entrepreneurial community for several decades, going all the way back to the early Princeton Space Studies Institute conferences and the first iteration of development scenarios for Space Based Solar Power and In Situ Resource Utilization concepts by O’Neill and others.

The author was one of those who heeded this Siren Song and directed his career path to finding opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures in space.  Beginning in the early 1990’s with the development of business and financing concepts for Space Business Parks – now actually being developed by Bigelow Aerospace – and continuing into the vehicle development area with the co-founding of Pioneer Rocketplane, the author has been continuously immersed in the nascent area of creating entrepreneurial space ventures.  Other venture space efforts included media deals, private service to support government space activity, and the development of space-themed real estate projects on Earth.

This paper will review the history of the various space ventures the author has been involved in over the last 15 years – both successful and unsuccessful – and draw out the lessons learned from these projects and experiences.  Major themes and recommendations for constructive public policy initiatives to encourage more success in the future for the venture space community will be described.  Personal recommendations to those considering a career in the entrepreneurial segment of the space business community will also be presented in the hope of minimizing the number of additional corporate bodies that must be stacked against the walls of the Big Boys Only space establishment before the ramparts are at last breached.

Abstract document

IAC-08.E6.1.7.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-08.E6.1.7.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.