Deputy NASA Administrator Pamela Melroy says it's important to recognise private commercial space companies are leveraging the developments the government has invested in for decades.
'We have a very similar historic background around transportation,' Ms Melroy told Sky News Australia.
'The example that comes to mind is the billionaires who invested in the cross country railroad in the United States. They did it because they thought they could make money out of it.
'Of course now, where would we be without that sort of infrastructure.'
