The successful July launches of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space flights for many seemed more like a made-for-TV spectacle than a showcase of scientific advancement. But for the venture capital community it meant something different. The milestones were a sign to many investors and entrepreneurs that the commercialization of space, which has been spearheaded by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, was not only possible but might be more expansive and come sooner than originally thought — and they wanted in.
