In the early 2000s, the commercial space industry was rapidly developing. Many private companies were competing to win contracts with the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They hoped to tackle some of the agency's more challenging projects in exchange for monetary compensation. For example, a company called SpaceX had already developed a spacecraft of its own. SpaceX signed contracts to lift NASA satellites into orbit and sought to supply the International Space Station on behalf of NASA. Other firms were close behind, pioneering new technology to efficiently transport unmanned payloads to space.
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People thought the industry would be _________.
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A unnecessary
B profitable
C global
D vulnerable
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B profitable
B profitable
To determine the missing word, we can analyze the context provided in the text. In the early 2000s, the commercial space industry was rapidly developing, with private companies competing for contracts with NASA and pioneering new technology for space transportation. Additionally, the companies were hoping to tackle challenging projects in exchange for monetary compensation.
Considering this information, it is likely that people thought the industry would be profitable. The mention of private companies competing for contracts suggests that they saw the potential for profitability in the commercial space industry. Hence, the answer is B) profitable.