NASA and the space community have had a remarkable week. The New Horizons interplanetary space probe finished its nearly 10-year journey to the dwarf planet of Pluto, producing images of unprecedented clarity. Yet NASA's planetary space budget is being scrutinized as Washington works to partially privatize the U.S. space industry — a task perhaps made easier by the culmination of the New Horizons mission, which has captivated scientists and space enthusiasts worldwide. When considering the geopolitical importance of the world's space programs there is a tendency to focus on the tangible and most immediate applications. We look at China, which has developed its own navigational satellite system to reduce its military's reliance on and exposure to foreign navigational satellites. And we look at the commercial implications of communications satellites in the digital world.