1 big thing: The future of private human spaceflight

A ban on regulating private rockets is set to expire this year, opening up human spaceflight companies to safety regulations for those flying on their systems — and defining the future of the industry.

"It is very unsatisfying to just wait for an accident. There is no guarantee that a regulation or a standard can save somebody ... but it builds a foundation," Josef Koller of the Aerospace Corporation tells Axios. "Safety is in the interest of all. It should not be a proprietary thing."