Overview

As the space economy matures and commercialization accelerates, fundamental questions about market design, public policy, and sustainability in space are emerging. This online seminar aims to bring together economists and space professionals to address these issues by applying the rigorous tools of economics to real-world space challenges.

This initiative builds a cross-disciplinary community of scholars and practitioners, providing a platform for ongoing collaboration, research dissemination, and future joint projects and grants.

Key Themes & Topics

The seminar will focus on key economic questions relevant to the future of space:

1. Market Formation and Industrial Structure

  • What role should the state play in enabling new markets (e.g., COTS model)?
  • Risks of monopolies in space launch and infrastructure

2. Government and Public Goods

  • Public vs. private provision of space services
  • How much should governments subsidize or directly support space activities?
  • Lessons from industrial policy and historical analogies (e.g., railroads, aviation)

3. Ownership, Property Rights, and Regulation

  • Legal and economic implications of asteroid mining, orbital real estate
  • Application of Ostrom-style frameworks to space
  • Comparative analysis: oceans, Antarctica, and outer space governance

4. Sustainability and Externalities

  • Managing orbital debris as a global externality
  • Incentives and governance tools for space stewardship

5. Complementarities and Coordination Failures

  • How to develop mutually reinforcing technologies and markets (habitats, in-space manufacturing, launches)

6. Defense and Security

  • The intersection of economics, space, and national security
  • Dual-use technologies and industrial base resilience

7. Ethics, Equity, and Intergenerational Justice

  • Who benefits from the space economy?
  • Distributional effects across nations, generations, and Earth/space communities

Format

  • Monthly online sessions (60–90 mins) with:
    • Industry speaker to present a real-world space challenge
    • Economist respondent(s) applying theory or empirical work
    • Discussion and Q&A with registered participants
  • Optional paper presentation slots in each session for economists working on space-related topics
  • Session recordings and curated readings will be archived for community members

Target Participants

  • Economists in:
    • Industrial organization, public economics, environmental economics, national security, and innovation studies
    • Users of satellite data or space-adjacent tools
  • Policy scholars and social scientists interested in space
  • Industry professionals engaging with economic frameworks

Expected Outcomes

  • A core research community at the intersection of economics and space
  • Working papers, co-authored publications, and policy briefs
  • Submissions to international grants (e.g., Horizon, NSF)
  • Panels at economics conferences (AEA, EEA) and space forums (IAC, Ascend)
  • Exploration of launching a Space Economics Working Group or affiliated research center

Interested? Contact us here