Perhaps bored by disrupting traditional industries on Earth, CEOs are increasingly turning their attention to somewhat higher ambitions. And they could get government backing.
The Obama administration was more keen on Mars than the moon. The former president once argued “we’ve been there before”, when referring to Earth’s closest neighbor. But progress reaching and understanding Mars has been slow, and some hope the Trump administration will consider sending humans to the moon for the first time since the 1970s.
That would present opportunities for businesses that could perhaps partner with NASA on moon missions. And it appears many are already eyeing the opportunity.
Last week, in what was a momentous period for the nascent commercial space-travel industry, Jeff Bezos joined the fray just as SpaceX and Virgin Galactic were announcing new ventures to take people to the moon.
The Amazon CEO told his Washington Post that the company’s space arm, Blue Origin, has told Trump’s transition team of a shipping service that would deliver gear for experiments, cargo and human habitation by 2020.
“It is time for America to return to the Moon—this time to stay,” Besos said. “A permanently inhabited lunar settlement is a difficult and worthy objective. I sense a lot of people are excited about this.”
The revelation came after Elon Musk announced that SpaceX intends to take two space tourists on a trip around the moon by the end of 2018. The wealthy travelers have already handed over a “significant” deposit, with more crew details to be announced following health and fitness tests, Musk said.
SpaceX is scheduled to send an unmanned rocket to the International Space Station later this year, before sending a manned mission in 2018 as part of a contract with NASA. “We commend our industry partners for reaching higher. We will work closely with SpaceX,” the space agency said.
Richard Branson, meanwhile, announced last week that Virgin Galactic will spin out a new company called Virgin Orbit that will launch small satellites into space, possibly by the end of the year.
The barriers to entry for space travel are falling, so it’s not surprising that more companies are getting involved, according to the MIT Technology Review. “The sooner the companies can establish themselves as the go-to provider, the more [opportunity] they have of shrugging off emerging competitors.”
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
