4/17/25, 10:56 PM
The Space Review: Space commerce: face the risk, seize the opportunities
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A new era of space commercialization opens up opportunitites on the Moon and elsewhere. (credit: ESA/P.
Carril)
Space commerce: face the risk, seize the
opportunities
by Norm Mitchell
Monday, April 14, 2025
Imagine it’s 1625 and you’re an ambitious young entrepreneur. The world’s most
powerful nations have pushed wooden shipbuilding technology to unprecedented
heights. The oceans are no longer the barrier to commerce that they once were. New
continents have been discovered. Known continents are more accessible because
traders can avoid rugged, dangerous overland routes.
The possibilities exceed anything previously
We are now standing on the
threshold of that doorway,
imagined. There is gold to be discovered, spices
with the universe inviting us
and silk to be bartered for, adventures to be had,
to step through.
and fortunes to be won. But of course, the venture
is not without risk. Violent storms, shipwrecks, and mutinies are hazards of the
occupation. Plus, you must contend with enemy navies while pirates, who find it more
desirable to plunder merchant ships than to build fortunes through honest labor,
abound. Privateers are augmenting military forces to provide maritime security. As if
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The Space Review: Space commerce: face the risk, seize the opportunities
that weren’t enough to worry about, the logistical efforts required to sustain ocean
voyages are staggering.
Now imagine that in 2025, you have the same sort of opportunities your predecessors
did 400 years ago—because you do. Space launch technology has been pushed to
unprecedented heights, and Earth’s atmosphere is no longer the barrier it once was.
The potential to discover new worlds, build wealth, and develop technologies that can
benefit humanity exceeds that of the age of sail by many orders of magnitude.
Humans have been venturing into space for 60 years, and the early pioneers who
made up the first wave of space exploration have cracked open the door to a domain
that holds infinite possibility. We are now standing on the threshold of that doorway,
with the universe inviting us to step through.
Space traffic will almost certainly grow exponentially over the next five to ten years,
as Earth’s spacefaring peoples explore new worlds and seek fortune and adventure.
Space is becoming increasingly accessible, allowing new entrants to venture into the
new frontier. It is not improbable to imagine recurring trips to the Moon by the end of
this decade, nor is it farfetched to imagine trips to Mars and even the asteroid belt by
the end of the next.
Currently, we use space primarily as a place to employ stand-off sensors and beyondline-of-sight communications platforms, but we should expect that to change soon.
People toss around ideas about space tourism, but really, that’s the tip of an iceberg of
commercial possibilities whose depth we haven’t begun to fathom.
The initial focus of space commerce will likely be on resource acquisition, energy
production, and advanced manufacturing. Asteroids may prove to be the source of
rare earth minerals and valuable metals, and the Moon’s bountiful reserves of helium3 could be a promising, low-radioactivity fuel for future nuclear fusion reactors.
As one might expect, the opportunities come with For those of us on the crest of
this second wave of space
inherent risks. Aside from the obvious hazards
exploration, scientific and
inherent to the harsh space environment, other
economic opportunities
threats will surely materialize. Enemy space fleets abound. These opportunities
lie just beyond the threshold
(manned and unmanned) and space pirates will
on which we stand.
certainly be problems with which spacefaring
companies must reckon. For every opportunity, there is a risk, yet even the risks
present new opportunities for enterprising space companies. Ambitious countries
may find it advantageous to specialize in one of the emerging space market niches.
Here are a few of those opportunities.
Manufacturing
Long-range space transports and asteroid-mining systems will have to be
manufactured on-orbit.
Lunar bases will need to be constructed to facilitate mining, research, and
communications.
Logistics
We are going to need transfer stations where travelers or machinery can
transfer from short-range shuttles to long-range transports.
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The Space Review: Space commerce: face the risk, seize the opportunities
Orbiting satellites or transport ships will need refueling stations that can be
stockpiled with fuel or that possess an efficient energy generation capability.
Space mining companies will need a steerable recovery capability: a way to send
materials back to Earth without threatening populated areas or air traffic, and
they will have to reliably deliver it to a secure area that’s not so remote that it’s
cost prohibitive to retrieve.
We will need reusable space launch platforms to get people, machines, and
cargo into orbit. Naturally, these launch platforms will need efficient and
capable spaceports, complete with the terrestrial infrastructure needed to
sustain regular spacelift operations. Countries with optimum spaceport
locations, particularly those near the Equator, may discover new economic
development opportunities in the space transport business.
It is now commonly understood, but worth mentioning, that we will need to
develop methods of cleaning up orbital debris to ensure a sustainable future for
space operations.
Information management and communications
The amount of data that we will need to collect, store, process, and turn into
useful information is going to be orders of magnitude above what we can
currently envision.
Speaking of data, we’re going to need to transport that data from the middle of
the solar system back to Earth.
We’ll need the ability to remotely operate and monitor mining equipment as far
away as the asteroid belt (beyond Mars).
We’ll need to remotely monitor transfer stations and on-orbit refueling stations
for security purposes.
We’ll need to monitor space traffic, which will probably entail a combination of
sensors, transponders, tracking systems, and control stations.
Disciplined frequency management will be critical. We will need to devise new
communication methods and new high-efficiency waveforms that optimize the
capacity of existing frequency bands.
Navigation and security
We will need to leverage space traffic management systems to avoid collisions
between spacecraft and debris and to efficiently route interplanetary traffic to
and from Earth.
Naturally, orbital refueling stations and cargos of valuable minerals or precious
metals will be tempting targets for thieves or for nation-state rivals. We will
need to find ways to safeguard them.
Companies will need to be able to provide security for recovery operations that
bring lunar, Martian, or asteroid resources back to Earth.
National economic interests will likely dictate that governments make space
commerce protection a standard military mission set. Once criminal
organizations or thuggish militaries make it to space, then we’ll need to stand
up a regiment of space troopers. Private security companies will undoubtedly
play a role as well.
For those of us on the crest of this second wave of space exploration, scientific and
economic opportunities abound. These opportunities lie just beyond the threshold on
which we stand. We must cross that threshold to begin benefitting from the new
worlds we will discover, and the scientific advancements that result will dwarf those
of the age of sail. The opportunities are virtually limitless. Let us be courageous and
generous enough to seize them!
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The Space Review: Space commerce: face the risk, seize the opportunities
The human race stands to make tremendous advances in knowledge, manufacturing,
energy production, and commerce. The resources are limitless, but human nature
being what it is, we will almost certainly find ourselves in conflict over them. One
thing is clear: the countries and companies that master the challenges of this new
domain will have a massive economic advantage over the rest. We should start
building the skills and capabilities required to master that domain today.
The opinions presented in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the
official opinions of any company, the US government, the Department of Defense, or
any of its components.
Norm Mitchell is a retired United States Marine and combat veteran of both the
Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He is currently a strategic planner for Torch
Technologies, Inc.
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O'Neillian
16 hours ago
Not a word about lunar manufactured Space Solar Power components as the
solution to Climate Change.
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