Enjoying the show? Support our mission and help keep the content coming by buying us a coffee.
The global space economy is projected to explode from $630 billion now to $1.8 trillion by 2035. This program exposes how AI and private investment are turning Low Earth Orbit (LEO) from a government science lab into a robust industrial park, delivering massive breakthroughs right here on Earth.
The core change agent is the relentless pace and reusability of private launch services (e.g., SpaceX is targeting 170 orbital launches in 2025). This operational intensity makes commercial activity in microgravity economically viable.
NASA’s Pivot: NASA is retiring the International Space Station (ISS) by 2030 and relying on private stations (like Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef) to take over, with partners like Hilton (a hotel chain) getting involved to commercialize access.
The New LEO Factory: The microgravity environment eliminates buoyancy and sedimentation, making space ideal for manufacturing high-value, small-mass goods. The best candidates for space manufacturing include super-pure optical fibers, custom semiconductors, and complex pharmaceuticals.
Earthly Payoff: Space-based research is already driving terrestrial competitiveness. Merck's cancer drug, Keytruda, was stabilized by LEO research, and Procter & Gamble used an experiment to solve the problem of their shampoo separating on the bathroom shelf.
The investment landscape signals a maturing industry and a focus on long-term viability:
VC Trends: Venture Capital funding for space is up, with a significant shift toward late-stage deals (over 41%) for more established companies.
Focus Areas: The largest money flows are concentrated in launch services, satellite communications, geospatial analytics (mapping and intelligence), and defense applications.
Space Tourism: The most visible sector is growing fast, projected to jump from $1.5 billion now to almost $5 billion by 2032.
The immediate challenge is building the infrastructure, but the long-term potential is game-changing.
Final Question: If the biggest obstacle to economic stability is complexity, what earthly industry gets fundamentally transformed first if we successfully mine just one asteroid that could hold $50 billion worth of platinum alone?