A Need for a Space MBA

Space tourism will be big business very soon. Those rocket scientists will need to learn how to be management-minded in short time if they plan to take on larger roles in the space business. They need a space MBA.  Good thing, then, that the International Space University offers one, recently graduating its first EMBA class this year.

From the WSJ:

The first class of 12 students, mostly technical experts in their 40s who have been promoted into management roles, collected their degrees on Nov. 19 at the private space university, based in Strasbourg, France. As their careers have advanced, many have had to acquire business skills on the fly to deal with realms not covered by their extensive scientific training, areas like contracting, accounting, corporate mergers and private equity investment.

Driving the need for expertise in such subjects are the big changes that have swept the industry in the last 30 years, said Walter Peeters, International Space University dean. Once the almost exclusive domain of government agencies like NASA, the sector is now crowded with private enterprises and investors. Commercial space tourism is poised to become a money-maker, while satellite companies' communications and navigational services are already crucial to many areas of the economy.

Along with traditional MBA topics like financing, accounting and marketing, students at ISU will learn about the politics of the aerospace industry, international law on the uses of space and insurance issues in this monstrously costly and risky sector.

Also, I like this line from from ISU's Brochure:  "As Werner Von Braun noted, there are two main obstacles to overcome when launching objects into outer space: gravity… and budget restrictions."

[WSJ]