It’s Wednesday morning at ISPCS, and the deputy administrator of NASA is the keynote speaker.

Theme of talk is how difficult it is to usher in change, and status quo doesn’t give up power easily.

“This is our Cheers bar.” Great to be here with people working every day to advance space activities and help create a robust industry. Developing industry that had recently been science fiction, but poised to open new frontier.

Witnessed end of magnificent space accomplishment in July with end of Shuttle, but it was just end of the beginning. NASA’s vision to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so we can benefit mankind.

Plan includes deep-space rocket and crew vehicle that will allow us to take people further than ever before, while creating good-paying US jobs. ISS remains centerpiece, and beyond 2020, beyond earth orbit. Established non-profit to get maximum potential from laboratory. Back to the moon, to an asteroid, and on to Mars.

Continuing world-class space science into the solar system, studying sun, and other stars.

More reliable and efficient air travel.

Committed to having American companies deliver crew and cargo to ISS instead of outsourcing to foreign sources. Have to reduce transportation costs to maximize value.

Their “political agenda” is to expand the nation’s capabilities and industrial base, while creating new industries. Partnership of space and industry not new — citing a 1961 article in which it was recommended that this be done — that Soviet model woudn’t work, and that we should use competition to maximize effectiveness. Warned of the dangers of too much government control. Could end up with nationalized space program. [Note: author was prescient]. Certain percentage, at best five percent, should be done by government. Warned that industry could become dependent on political winds if too concentrated in government. At its best competitive economy has vigor, creativity and efficiency that government can’t offer. So NASA’s “new” plan is not new at all.

ISS positioned to help make things happen by acting as a customer for new industry.

Have two-phase project, COTS and CRS, for cargo delivery to ISS. $3.5B committed for competitive efforts.

CCDev has completed first round, and CCDev currently being executed with $338M. In the 1990s, Alternate Access never got as much as $15M.

Using Commercial Crew Program to develop at least one provider by mid decade.

New approach threatens status quo, and many have been resisting and fighting. We are the furry mammals, and the dinosaurs probably fought bitterly against the imminent demise. Uses computer industry as example, in transition from mainframe to PCs. “Moneyball” is another example she gives, by using new statistical strategy to win games with lower-paid baseball players. Not well received by supporters of the status quo. “A trail-blazer, a first man through the gap, always gets blamed, whether in business or politics, and people will fight for their lives.” Every team uses this now to some degree, but early adopters had competitives advantage for long time.

Top ten ways we’ll know we’re successful.

Instead of occupying Wall Street, we’ll be occupying space stations (and won back 80% of launch market).

US astronauts are leading an international expedition to an asteroid.

Discovery of a blue planet around a distant stary.

One-day travel to ISPCS from anywhere.

ISPCS has outgrown ranch, and we stay at the Whitesides Hotel with a meeting in the hangar.

98% of earth-crossing asteroids are being tracked and cataloged by crowdsourcing.

Private enterprise is establishing outposts on the moon and utilizing resources, and tourists planning visits to historical landing sites.

New industries worth trillion have spun off from space.

President of the United States will give keynote at ISPCS, and she will also be wearing fabulous boots.

Question: Won’t going from Space-Act Agreements to FAR “giving government too much control”? Don’t fly NASA astronauts.

She is explaining the standard legal justification. Will continue to have government employees in space, so they’ll need to get up somehow.

[Update]

Here is the report she was citing.