The modern space race is dominated by three major players: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), SpaceX, and Blue Origin.
NASA, created in 1958, continues to develop groundbreaking space missions. But Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin are the defining forces in commercial spaceflight. Both companies have shifted space exploration from state-funded monopolies to a highly competitive private industry. Both operate on drastically different scales and strategies, and both remain fierce rivals.
However, the two tech giants are happy to collaborate with NASA on a bewildering range of mission projects, sharing expertise, software, and vital testing data to help further space exploration.
But what, exactly, is NASA's relationship with these two rival players, and how successful is the partnership? To find out more, click on and continue reading.