Introduction: Partnerships for Innovation

Abstract

This book deals with innovation within the space exploration community. People who follow the subject lavish much attention on innovative “spin-offs” from space—products that owe at least part of their existence to space activities. Writers have given less attention to the processes by which people pursing space exploration become innovative. This book deals with the latter. The Introduction defines innovation as a new idea that makes some device or process cheaper, faster, easier, additionally effective, or more accessible. It emphasizes the chaotic and nonlinear nature of innovation. The chapter offers a short history of efforts to innovate in space, beginning with Project Apollo (the conventional model) and ending with the attempt to commercialize spaceflight. The chapter recalls successful episodes (such as the creation of the Voyager spacecraft) and efforts that have not worked as well (among them the NASA space shuttle). It concludes with an observation that provided much of the impetus for this book: innovation for space exploration involves partnerships. Partnerships of various forms are as old as space travel. The chapters that follow examine the role of partnerships in promoting innovation in a realm that depends heavily upon invention and creativity. (Roger D. Launius and Howard E. McCurdy)