A (free) Space News article this week examines the annual March Storm grassroots lobbying effort by ProSpace, which is going on through Wednesday. The major focus this year is on new proposed legislation, the “Space Prizes for the Advancement of Commerce and Enterprise (SPACE) Act of 2006″, which would establish a “National Space Prize Board” with $100 million per year for prizes that may not fit within NASA’s own Centennial Challenges prize program. ProSpace is also fighting for full funding for commercial ISS transport, as well as the establishment of the ACES, the AFRL (Air Force Research Lab) Center for Entrepreneurial Space (Access) to serve as a link between the capabilities of the entrepreneurial space community and the needs of the DoD. (Such an office was recommended by the Entrepreneurial space transportation industry consensus statement released in mid-January.) The full March Storm agenda is available online.
