By Mark Harris

Shutterstock/NASA

LAST year, NASA declared the International Space Station open for business. Although firms could already do research on the ISS under contract with NASA, the agency hoped to stimulate pure commerce, including the manufacture of biotech and the development of on-orbit industries that could support NASA’s deep space exploration goals – not to mention bringing in some cash.

Instead, it got beauty product marketing with Estée Lauder, sports shoe design with Adidas and the transport of space tourism …