While NASA struggles with the financial burdens of completing the space station, flying the shuttle through 2010, and developing the Orion capsule and Ares launcher family, it has little interest in supporting the emerging commercial NewSpace industry, as seen with the small budgets of its COTS and Centennial Challenges programs.  Congress happily supports this status quo, mindful of the NASA and contractor jobs spread across Congressional districts.

Meanwhile, NewSpace entrepreneurs work steadily to build commercial sub-orbital space vehicles and orbiting facilities, and several state governments are working to bring NewSpace-enabled economic growth to their citizens.  If you think I'm talking about the traditional space states of Alabama, California, Florida and Texas... think again.  Wrap your mind around the idea of Wisconsin, Hawaii, Virginia, Oklahoma and New Mexico as potential newcomers to the list of significant space states.  Yes, you read correctly, Wisconsin.