  The rapid cost growth of flagship space missions has created a crisis for
astronomy and planetary science. We have hit the funding wall. For the past 3
decades scientists have not had to think much about how space technology would
change within their planning horizon. However, this time around enormous
improvements in space infrastructure capabilities and, especially, costs are
likely on the 20-year gestation periods for large space telescopes. Commercial
space will lower launch and spacecraft costs substantially, enable
cost-effective on-orbit servicing, cheap lunar landers and interplanetary
cubesats by the early 2020s. A doubling of flagship launch rates is not
implausible. On a longer timescale it will enable large structures to be
assembled and constructed in space. These developments will change how we plan
and design missions.
