When the space shuttle was originally planned, it was expected that the
(flight) schedule could go upto one flight per week – similar to the cross
Atlantic flights of the Concorde - with orbital space stations requiring both materials and work crews. Though the space shuttle failed to live up to its initial promise; the entry of several private sector players into the aerospace industry means that the question must be examined yet again - where will the pilots for tomorrow’s spaceships come from?
The author says that the space pilots of the future must come from the pool of available commercial pilots. Training the commercial pilots to graduate from flying jets to spacecraft requires flying on the NASA shuttle simulators, studying the course material for astronauts, and instructions in the technical aspects of spaceflight. Of course, the beauty of the space shuttle – and the reason its design prevailed over other options available at that time - being that it flies just like an airplane!
The author says that besides providing a new - and lucrative - market for commercial pilots, the public also needs to be educated on the benefits of space commerce. Parts of the shuttle program could even be taken by newsmen (who want to write about space) and corporate executives (who want to sell products / services to companies involved in the space program).
The author raises the question whether NASA will really delegate spaceflight to the private sector? (There is no reason not to, now that NASA’s rockets are being designed by private operators.) He also asks whether spaceflight will ever become a profitable commercial venture. As for the profitability of private ventures, that depends upon the administration’s willingness to support the entire space program.