In yesterday’s news release (NASA AWARDS CONTRACT FOR MICROGRAVITY AIRCRAFT SERVICES), NASA announced that it “… has awarded a contract to Zero Gravity Corporation of Las Vegas to manage and operate an aircraft to perform reduced gravity parabolic flights while carrying NASA-operated experiments and personnel.”

How can this be both a small step and a giant leap at the same time… without breaking the laws of physics and requiring two specialized pair of shoes?

Part of the answer is found in the comments of Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, CEO and co-founder of ZERO-G, in his company’s news release:  “ZERO-G, which was founded in 1993 and began commercial operations in 2004, is 100 percent privately funded.  As a commercial company we are pleased to support NASA's Vision for Space Exploration."  Plus, this is a fixed-price contract, rather than the traditional cost-plus award favored by NASA and its contractors, which is also part of this small step/giant leap accomplishment.

NASA has finally relinquished its chokehold on one element of its portfolio, thanks to the passion and persistence of Dr. Diamandis and the employees at ZERO-G.  Since they began flying their Boeing 727 in October 2004, there has been no reason for NASA to continue operating its own microgravity aircraft.  Finally, this comes to an end with NASA’s very practical small step, and NASA is to be acknowledged for this.

And the giant leap?  While NASA made a practical decision, this reflects a giant philosophical leap (like NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) project) in its view of what it must own and operate (still far too much), and what it can turn over to the private sector.  As the Space Frontier Foundation has been saying for years, NASA can have the far frontier (beyond the Moon), but give the near frontier (Low Earth Orbit to the Moon) to the private sector.  As we now see, that near frontier includes microgravity flights.

So, yes, this is great news, but it isn’t news to those who believe that government should not compete with the private sector.  Even the Congress and the Executive Branch understood this… in the last decade:

•  “In the process of governing, the Government should not compete with its citizens. The competitive enterprise system, characterized by individual freedom and initiative, is the primary source of national economic strength.  In recognition of this principle, it has been and continues to be the general policy of the Government to rely on commercial sources to supply the products and services the Government needs.”
  Circular No. A-7
  Executive Office Of The President
  Office Of Management And Budget
  (revised 1999)

• “The Congress declares that a priority goal of constructing the International Space Station is the economic development of Earth orbital space. The Congress further declares that free and competitive markets create the most efficient conditions for promoting economic development, and should therefore govern the economic development of Earth orbital space.”
  The Commercial Space Act Of 1998
  Public Law 105-303
  Title I, Sec (101) (a)

Note the word "competitive" in the above items.  The true mark of success will be when the demand for microgravity flight becomes sufficient for new companies to join the market and compete with ZERO-G. 

Congratulations to Dr. Diamandis and ZERO-G, and may you be blessed with more business than you can handle.