The Space Economy

CHAPTER 10The Future of the Space Economy: What Happens When Orbit Is Cheap, Easy, and Safe?

Predictions are never perfect. That said, I'd like to use this last chapter to offer Space Capital's view of the road ahead. Nobody has a crystal ball. As thesis‐driven investors, however, our most crucial function is the combining of expertise and imagination to identify likely outcomes. Whether or not your professional work or investments directly concern the Space Economy, it's a safe bet that we will all depend on space technologies in increasingly fundamental ways.

To be clear, nearly everything of consequence in today's Space Economy is happening in Satellites and Launch. Looking ahead, however, we can observe hints of four Emerging Industries, each offering varying degrees of long‐term potential. For now, it isn't time to commit. Simply to pay attention. However, things may get interesting in one or more of these areas soon enough.

Before looking more closely at the four Emerging Industries as well as the threats posed—and potentially solved—by space tech, it's important to understand the linchpin of all next‐generation efforts: Starship.

The Next (Really) Big Thing: Starship

Many venture‐backed space companies of the last couple of years promised wonderful solutions—for a pre‐Starship world. Despite the hype, many will be obsolete once the new SpaceX launch vehicle becomes operational. For years now, Space Capital has focused its attention only on companies that will leverage ...