SKUNK BAXTER AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE: U.S. government should reduce impediments to commercial space innovation.

Recently, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation space subcommittee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee have held hearings on ways to streamline regulations and encourage commercial innovation.

The government needs to quickly address these impediments to private sector innovation because it will need to employ small satellites and advanced technologies to address growing threats from potential adversaries, said Jeffrey “Skunk” Baxter, a national security consultant who often leads wargame red teams and a founding member of American jazz rock band Steely Dan.

“I want to stop looking at small satellites as exotic animals,” Baxter said. “Come back to Earth and look at small satellites as utility. As we get into the concept of conflict, we are going to need a lot of them.”

He’s right.