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1990
On November 5, 1990, United States President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Launch Services Purchase Act. The Act ordered NASA to purchase launch services for its primary payloads from commercial providers whenever such services are required in the course of its activities. -
1997 *
Commercial launches outnumbered government launches at the Eastern Test Range in 1997. -
2000*
In the 2000s, entrepreneurs began designing competitive space systems for the national-monopoly governmental systems of the early decades of the space age. These new offerings have brought about significant market competition in space launch services after 2010 that had not been present previously. -
2000*
Development of alternatives for government provided space launch services began in earnest in the 2000s. Private interests began funding limited development programs, but the US government later sponsored a series of programs to provide for and encourage private companies to begin offering both cargo, and later, crew space transportation services. -
2004
Private space travel was illegal until 2004. Then the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 was established, which reduced limitations of space travel and allowed private resources to be given to the exploration of space. -
2010*
In the 2010s, we started deploying competitive space systems to the national-monopoly governmental systems of the early decades of the space age. These new offerings have brought about significant market competition in space launch services after 2010 that had not been present previously. -
2010
Lower prices for launch services after 2010, and published prices for standard launch services, have brought about significant space launch market competition that had not been present previously. -
2010
NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service contracts, under authorization of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 2010, allowed SpaceX and Orbital to participate in the organization’s COTS program, which transports satellites and payloads into space on behalf of the agency. -
2011
NASA contracts a private firm, SpaceX, for its orbital and suborbital flights (the U.S. Air Force contracts with SpaceX, as well) since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011. -
2011
Shuttles were only meant to have a 10-year service life, but this was extended multiple times including once by President Bush to aid in the construction of the International Space Station. The fleet was finally retired on Aug. 31, 2011. Which was a full 15 years after they were originally to be decommissioned. -
2014
Private companies have yet to amass significant casualties, with the only death occurring during a failed Virgin Galactic test flight in 2014. -
2015 *
The United States updated US commercial space legislation with the passage of the SPACE Act of 2015 in November 2015. The full name of the act is Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship Act of 2015 -
1992*
Resurs-500 capsule containing gifts was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome what was a private spaceflight called Europe-America 500. The flight was conceived by a Russian rocket-building company: The Russian Foundation for Social Inventions and TsSKB-Progress, to increase trade and promote use of technology once reserved only for military forces between Russia and USA. Money for the launch was raised from a collection of Russian companies.
