Prof. Mark Sundahl recently published an article in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science on the evolution of law during the rise of the United States space industry.  The piece, entitled Business, Legal, and Policy Issues in Relation to Increased Private Space Activity shows how critical changes over time in law and policy fueled the rise of the private space industry. Although private industry was a key player in government programs from the beginning, the Space Shuttle tragedies set in motion a series of policy changes that eventually gave rise to the vibrant panoply of private launch service providers and other space companies that we have today.