Creating the Space Economy

Since its inception in 1958, NASA has shown an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge beyond Earth’s orbit, transforming dreams of space exploration into reality. 

In recent years, the agency has released ambitious plans to advance that commitment, including establishing commercial space stations near Earth, a human presence on the moon, exploring more of our solar system and searching for life in deep space.

 

Space Economy_1
Credit: NASA

Artemis

Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. The uncrewed Artemis I mission set new records of performance, exceeded efficiency expectations and established new safety baselines for humans in deep space. Soon, four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II to test NASA's foundational human deep space exploration capabilities. Future crews will explore the lunar South Pole region for the first time thanks to the addition of new capabilities with the human landing system and advanced spacesuits. 

Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and to build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars. The uncrewed Artemis I mission set new records of performance, exceeded efficiency expectations and established new safety baselines for humans in deep space. Soon, four astronauts will venture around the Moon on Artemis II to test NASA's foundational human deep space exploration capabilities. Future crews will explore the lunar South Pole region for the first time thanks to the addition of new capabilities with the human landing system and advanced spacesuits. 

But space exploration is a monumental feat that requires a multitude of moving parts all under one central command. This is why NASA contracts both public and private entities to innovate the critical services that accelerate space exploration, like rocket designs, communications, robotics and launches. Its ambitious plans are already kickstarting a new space economy.

To the Moon with Technology

How NASA plans to build a sustainable human presence on the Moon using Earth’s most innovative technology.

Credit: NASA

Low Earth Orbit Economy

Growing the B2B + B2C Space Economy

As the new space economy expands, companies with expertise in space services can offer things like satellite launches and in-orbit maintenance to private companies and governmental organizations.

These services were coined the low Earth orbit economy (LEO) and include companies like Nasdaq-listed Intuitive Machines (LUNR), Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin, and Nasdaq-listed Rocket Lab (RKLB), that provide launch and payload delivery services and are competing to advance commercial space services for all.

Companies like Nasdaq-listed Intuitive Machines (LUNR) and Momentus (MNTS) are creating delivery modules and services to aid astronauts working and living on the moon.

Companies like Rocket Lab (RKLB) are launching rockets and satellites into space, helping expand the amount of people and research that can go into orbit.

Companies like Nasdaq-listed AST Space Mobile (ASTS) and EchoStar (SATS) are launching satellites to connect people around the world to the internet.

Companies like Blue Origin plans to take customers on commercial flights to the edge of space. Some companies are already selling tickets for future deep space travel.

Blue Origin plans to create a mixed-use business park that will be a destination for business, research, tourism and more, 250 miles above Earth.

Companies like Nasdaq-listed Sidus Space (SIDU) are developing essential space technologies that fit the changing needs of the space economy.

The Low Earth Orbit Economy

NASA is preparing the world for a vibrant low Earth orbit economy (LEO) that is sustainable, cost-effective and safe. An economy that supports the development of commercially owned and operated rockets, cargo and crew spacecrafts, space stations and research capabilities, with the end goal of opening space to more people, more companies and more ideas.

Learn More

NASA is preparing the world for a vibrant low Earth orbit economy (LEO) that is sustainable, cost-effective and safe. An economy that supports the development of commercially owned and operated rockets, cargo and crew spacecrafts, space stations and research capabilities, with the end goal of opening space to more people, more companies and more ideas.

Learn More ->

American companies will continue to play an essential role in establishing a sustainable presence in space. These efforts include NASA’s Commercial LEO Development Program, which is facilitating the development of commercially owned and operated space destinations from which NASA, along with other customers, can purchase services and stimulate the growth of commercial activities.

Pioneering the First Space Supply Chain

A new space economy requires a new supply chain to provide essential materials from Earth to multiplanetary destinations. Unlike our current supply chain, which moves goods across the globe, an interstellar supply chain requires more complex engineering to be successful in the vacuum of space.

Companies like Firefly and Nasdaq-listed Intuitive Machines (LUNR) are leveraging their services and technology to create an interstellar supply chain that will help astronauts build a base on the moon and sustain life for further research and exploration. 

Spacecraft
Credit: NASA

Intuitive Machines

Innovating the Space Race

Technological innovations like autonomous supply chains will be critical to interstellar exploration. With an autonomous supply chain that can ensure astronauts on the moon receive life-sustaining building materials, food and other essentials, space exploration can continue at a much faster rate.

Intuitive Machines designed and created three lunar landers that are currently being tested to deliver supplies to the moon. The third, the IM-3, will be fully autonomous.

The IM-3 will contain CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Explorers), a NASA payload that will test collaborative autonomous exploration, demonstrating the ability to navigate, communicate, compute, perceive and make decisions without human interaction.

Credit: Intuitive Machines
Lunar Lander
Lunar Lander
Lunar Lander
Credit: Intuitive Machines

From the Moon to Mars

The innovations that enable these landers to target the lunar surface accurately and land safely, all through autonomous or nearly autonomous means, have sweeping potential for the future of space exploration. 

In April 2024, Intuitive Machines was tasked with designing a lunar terrain vehicle that could transport goods and astronauts across the moon’s surface. The company has named its lunar terrain vehicle the Moon Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover (RACER), and plans to equip RACER with advanced power management, autonomous driving, communications and navigation systems for lunar exploration.

RACER
Credit: Intuitive Machines

In Search of New Life

Finding Life Beyond our Own

Technology and innovation in the commercial sector are helping do the critical work of space exploration and enable the space agency to focus on  some of the most important missions of our lifetime, including searching for life beyond our own planet.

NASA’s latest interplanetary mission was the launch of Europa Clipper on Oct. 14, 2024, the first mission designed to conduct a detailed scientific exploration of Jupiter's moon, Europa.  

Watch

The Europa Launch

Europa is one of 95 moons that orbit Jupiter, and out of all 95, scientists believe it could contain new information on the building blocks of life.

Based on current evidence, Europa may contain a saltwater ocean beneath its icy exterior twice as large as the oceans on Earth. It may also contain the key ingredients that could support life, like carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and sulfur. 

The mission’s three main objectives are to understand the nature of the ice shell on Europa and the ocean beneath it, along with the moon’s composition and geology. Europa Clipper will ultimately help scientists better understand the potential for habitable worlds beyond our own. 

If there is life in Europa, it almost certainly was completely independent from the origin of life on Earth... that would mean the origin of life must be pretty easy throughout the galaxy and beyond.

Robert Pappalardo, Project Scientist, Europa Clipper Mission

Scientists believe Europa may have a salt water ocean beneath its icy surface that could contain the building blocks of life. Depicted here, as the ocean rises beneath the surface, the icy shell melts.

If Europa does have an ocean that could sustain life, more launches will be required to study the potential for life on Europa and other planets. The possibilities for scientific exploration in space are endless when the tools become more available to a wider market. 

 

Credit: NASA

Moving Toward Sustainable Space Exploration

A growing space economy means launches are happening more often. Historically, these launches require a massive amount of energy to complete and produce waste materials in the process, as rockets usually burn up upon the descent back into Earth’s atmosphere, losing money and hardware.

Innovators in this new economy are finding ways to diminish the strain on capital and resources, making spaceflight more sustainable and accessible, opening the floodgates to a new era of space travel. 

Meanwhile, NASA is working toward a model and expectations of sustainability in space exploration that cover four key areas:

Earth

Earth's Orbit

The Moon's Orbital Area (Cislunar Space)

Deep Space

Earth
Nebula
Space Launch
Credit: NASA

The burgeoning space economy is already rippling through our global economy, bringing corporate partners across industries and continents together to create awe-inspiring and ambitious technologies and services that will ignite the next space race. With NASA and its partners tirelessly creating frameworks for a new space economy, innovating technologies to accelerate space exploration and performing vital research for human advancement in deep space, a new generation's dreams of space travel are quickly becoming reality.

 

Page Last Updated: March 31, 2025