The U.S. aerospace industry of the 21st century bears little resemblance to the strong, dependable industry that armed the allies in World War II and then drove the growth of commercial aircraft design and the very frontiers of space exploration. While science and technology have continued to advance in this industry in important ways, the social institutions have not kept pace.1The end of the Cold War has been followed by almost two decades of instability in government funding and capital markets, combined with numerous waves of organizational consolidation and re-engineering, demographic shifts, and other changes. As was noted in Aviation Week and Space Technology, “A management and Wall Street preoccupation with cost-cutting, accelerated by the Cold War’s demise, has forced large layoffs of experienced aerospace employees. In their zeal for saving money, corporations have sacrificed some of their core capabilities—and many don’t even know it.”2 Together, these forces have undermined the very resolve and commitment that drove decades of success for this industry. Support for the historic mantra of always going higher, faster and farther has eroded—but what will be the new rallying cry? Can a once proud industry be revitalized or must the aerospace industry choose between some degree of stability and continued deterioration?
