The last few years have borne witness to an incredible feat—the coming of age of commercial spaceflight. Launch vehicles regularly and safely depart for low-earth orbit to deploy satellites or deliver astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. And for the first time since the heady days of the Apollo program, humankind is looking to step foot on other worlds. While it is an exciting time for commercial space operations, these achievements in space must take into consideration those of us who work in the lower parts of the sky.
ALPA pilots continue to work with stakeholders and regulatory authorities to highlight the numerous benefits and challenges that the tremendous growth in commercial space operations will present to our nation. As the number of commercial space launches and recoveries is expected to rapidly escalate in the next 10 years, the United States has the opportunity to lead by example and ensure that these operations are safely integrated into the national airspace system with the mature commercial aviation industry.
Currently, growth is taking place much faster than anticipated. Launches and recovery operations have already created an undue burden on shared airspace. Next week, ALPA will bring together stakeholders from the aviation and space communities for an in-depth discussion on how we can work together to benefit from investments in our national airspace infrastructure.
For nearly 90 years, ALPA has been at the forefront of creating the safest form of long-distance transportation in history. ALPA pilots, and the aviation industry at large, stand willing and ready to share our experience and expertise with the commercial space industry to avoid past mistakes, capitalize on hard-earned lessons, and build a future we can all be proud of.
To join industry leaders in a one-day discussion on the many ongoing efforts to transform our airspace for the future, watch our webcast on October 31 at 8 a.m.