INCOSE hosts presentation on the rise of NewSpace and the future of space entrepreneurship

By Cassidy Mills, Staff Writer

 

The Orlando chapter of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) hosted a presentation by Tom Markusic, Ph.D., titled “Playing with Fire: Adventures in Space Entrepreneurship,” June 11.

 

The presentation, part of the chapter’s ongoing effort to promote excellence in systems engineering across industry, government and academia, focused on the evolution of the commercial space sector and Markusic’s experiences in the emerging “NewSpace” movement.

 

New Space refers to the rise of a commercial space industry driven by private companies, characterized by a focus on innovation and profitability rather than government policies, political agendas, or reliance on traditional aerospace contractors.

 

This event was part of INCOSE Orlando’s regular chapter presentations, which occur on the second Wednesday of each month. Presenters from local organizations share insights on systems engineering practices that drive interoperability and innovation in product development and delivery.

 

Markusic, an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur, traced his career from his early days in propulsion research for NASA and the U.S. Air Force to leadership roles at several private space companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.

 

He founded Firefly Aerospace, where he led the company to develop spacecraft and rockets that have gone to space and will soon land on the moon. Most recently, he launched GigEngineer, a company focused on transforming traditional engineering and production methods by lowering costs, speeding up development, and integrating more efficient operations technology.

 

Markusic defined NewSpace as a private and very American commercial approach to increasing access to and utilization of space while dramatically lowering the cost of both.

 

“NewSpace is really giving the direction forward in space,” Markusic said. “There’s been kind of a major sea change, you know, we’re not waiting for NASA to tell us what to do anymore. Commercial enterprise and a lot of smart engineers have come together and kind of taken the wheel, directing where we’re going in space.”

 

Markusic explained this shift means the industry has easier access to space now than ever before. Just 20 years ago, space access was limited to a few major government agencies, but today, with the rise of NewSpace and commercial innovation, launching payloads or even building spacecraft is more achievable.

 

Markusic attributed much of the early momentum in the NewSpace movement to SpaceX’s pioneering work with the Falcon 1 rocket, which demonstrated that a private company could build and launch an orbital-class rocket independently.

 

“We launched the rocket, and it went up a mile, and it came straight back down and exploded,” Markusic said. “Over the course of the next three launches, we got it right, and that was really the birth of SpaceX. Ultimately, SpaceX deserves a lot of credit for what we call NewSpace.”

 

Looking ahead, he said expanding access to space will have far-reaching economic and societal impacts beyond just technological advancement. By opening new frontiers, it will create vast opportunities for economic growth, including the creation of high-tech jobs.

 

“The real big deal is that, ultimately, this is going to lead to massive economic activity and create 21st-century jobs,” Markusic said. “As lofty as these space dreams are, there’s probably nothing more important than making our country economically strong through these 21st-century technologies.”

 

Markusic suggested that as space becomes more accessible, humanity could tap into vast new sources of energy and raw materials, alleviating many of the resource constraints that currently drive conflict and economic inequality.

 

“We’re talking about going beyond just exploring our solar system. We’re talking about exploring the entire universe,” Markusic said. “If we can really open access to space, we will have unlimited energy and unlimited physical resources. Without scarcity of resources, it’s not hard to see how this could lead to unity among people, an end to war and major positive changes in society and human culture.”