In the past few years advances in material sciences have created a race to create a truly reusable spacecraft, thereby reducing the cost per pound to orbit. Stronger and ultra-light materials are constantly improving the structure to fuel ratio on potential new space vehicles. New turbopumps are smaller yet stronger with fewer moving parts. New rocket engines and thrusters that have improved efficiency and capability are being developed or have become available from former Soviet countries. Control software is evolving rapidly.
Electronic hardware continues to shrink while becoming more powerful.
New manufacturing techniques allow greater efficiency in production of components, sub-systems and assemblies. With these improvements, new design strategies are becoming possible. Technology advances are allowing planners, designers and engineers to work toward radically lowering launch costs. At the same time, the Legislative environment of space commerce has radically changed in the past two years. In 1998, faced with American start-up companies such as Kistler going abroad to get permission to attempt private orbital reentry, the US Congress passed the Commercial Space Act.