General John Raymond, space commander and space commander of the United States Air Force, speaks at the Air Force Association Air, Space, and Cybernetics Conference in National Harbor, Md., On September 16, 2019.
Technique. Sergeant. Armando Schwier-Morales | United States Air Force
WASHINGTON – The nation’s top general leading the U.S. military mission in space said Wednesday he is excited about Wall Street and the multimillion-dollar investment in the space industry, which has sparked renewed interest in the field among northerners. -Americans and a strong recruitment to the youngest branch of the Pentagon.
“The United States owns space in every sector,” said General John Raymond, chief of operations for the U.S. Space Force, when CNBC asked him about the advances made by private space companies like SpaceX d ‘Elon Musk.
“I’ve talked about people knocking on the door who want to enter the space force in higher numbers than we have to occupy. We’ve talked in the past about how universities see more students applying for space STEM degrees, which I think it will be fantastic for our nation, ”Raymond added.
“I’m excited about all of this, both for what we’re doing here on national security and for what’s happening in the commercial industry so we can take advantage,” the four-star general said without specifically naming any companies.
“The United States has always understood that we are stronger with a secure and stable space domain and all of these sectors play into it,” Raymond said.
The U.S. Space Force, the youngest branch of the Pentagon, has increasingly sought to partner with the private sector as companies and investors turn to the space industry. The Pentagon is watching closely the progress of rocket builders such as Rocket Lab, Astra and Virgin Orbit, as well as SpaceX.
Raymond’s comments came after SpaceX announced this week that it would bring its first all-civilian crew into orbit later this year, a mission known as Inspiration 4.
The flagship flight, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, is aimed at using high-profile space tourism to support support for St. John’s Children’s Research Hospital. Jude. Three passengers yet to be announced will accompany Isaacman on the multi-day trip around Earth, with two of the seats to be decided at online public competitions this month.
Raymond also convened NASA’s Crew-1 mission, which was the first operational launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
“If you look at what’s happening in the civilian sector with the launch of American astronauts and, in this latest launch, a Japanese astronaut from US territory in a commercial launch vehicle, there’s a lot of excitement. “, he said.
Raymond gave no reaction to SpaceX’s Starship rocket flight on Tuesday, which caused an explosion while trying to land.
The SN9 spacecraft prototype was successfully launched to about 33,000 feet, but, like the pre-December flight prototype, the rocket crashed into the ground as it attempted to land.
Private investment in space companies last year set a new annual record, despite industry fears that the Covid-19 pandemic would end the momentum of the past decade, according to a Space Capital report last month. Rocket and satellite builders reached $ 8.9 billion in 2020, with angel and venture capital investors continuing to invest funds in space companies.