Schaffer: DOD has 'a little bit more homework to do' on commercialization of space

The Pentagon is beginning to appreciate the opportunity that the commercialization of space brings -- but changing mindsets and policies will take years, the director for space strategy and plans within the office of the under secretary of defense for policy said Friday.

Speaking at an event organized by Women in Aerospace, Audrey Schaffer said she's felt a new sense of enthusiasm as commercial investment in space picks up.

"What I'm seeing right now is incredibly exciting," Schaffer said. "Now, from a DOD perspective, I think the real question is whether we'll actually be able to take advantage of these shorter turnaround cycles."

"We're not particularly good at fast," she added. "But, in any case, I think there's a tremendous amount of opportunity out there right now."

Schaffer said the government is also trying to "catch up, from a policy and regulatory perspective" with commercial activities it didn't anticipate.

"In the national security community in particular, there's a little bit of a visceral reaction against some of these capabilities that previously . . . were really only the province of government, of military," she said. "There's this reaction of, 'Oh my God, we can't let them take pictures in space because they might see my humongous satellite that amateur astronomers are tracking every day.' And so that leads us to a very reactive and somewhat conservative posture."

Still, she said that approach is beginning to shift.

"We recognize that having a vibrant commercial sector that can compete internationally will bring not just economic benefits to our country, but actually national security benefits to us because we will be able to take advantage of these new technologies, of these new capabilities -- again, footnote, if we can figure out how to do things on time lines that the private sector actually needs," Schaffer said. "It takes many years to change mindsets and to change policies, but I think the challenge that we face in this moment right now is that we have a little bit more homework to do."