The Space Review: Patent Rights, Space Science and Big Bird

Altair on the moon

This week in The Space Review….

Patent rights and flags of convenience in outer space
The effective commercialization of space requires a legal regime that, among other things, protects the intellectual property rights of companies doing work there. Matthew J. Kleiman describes a potential loophole in international space law that could undermine that legal protection.

Merging human spaceflight and science at NASA
Space science and human spaceflight, long foes in the battle for funding, are going in opposite directions at NASA. Lou Friedman argues it’s time to unite the two under a common mission of exploration.

The flight of the Big Bird (part 2)
Dwayne Day continues his examination of the history of the KH-9 HEXAGON reconnaissance satellite program by looking at its development, including budget battles that threatened the program with cancellation.

Buy this satellite?
Recent events have demonstrated the importance, but also the fragility, of Internet access. Jeff Foust reports on one group making a long-shot bid to buy a satellite to improve Internet access in underserved parts of the world.

Review: From Jars to the Stars
Building a satellite to perform a mission never before attempted can be a challenging, uncertain project. Jeff Foust reviews a book that chronicles the work by one company with an unlikely heritage to build a unique planetary science mission for NASA.