The upcoming OODAcon 2023 panel  – “The Space Edge – Defining New Opportunities, Economies, and Risks” –  will dig deep into the emerging opportunities, economies, and risks associated with the rapid development of space-based technologies, resource acquisition, and shift from the public to private sector.

After decades of stagnation, space innovation keeps pushing the boundaries of the possible with new firsts emerging on a monthly basis.  Following is a compilation of OODA Loop original analysis and resources on the revolution evolution of the Commercial Space industry sector.

Commercial Space: Innovation, Regulation, and International Collaboration 

Innovation

In 2026, ClearSpace-1 Will Rendezvous, Capture, and Remove a Piece of Space Debris: While technically in production and heading towards operations, this project still had to start as a speculative design process – more sci-fi than concrete.  It is representative of the kind of project that will still feel like a faraway future, but are launching as early 2026. Take a look at this remarkable artistic rendering of ClearSpace 1-  set to to launch the first active debris removal mission with Arianespace Vega C.

The Varda Space Drug Factory (Currently Manufacturing Ritonavir in Low Earth Orbit): Varda Space Industries launched its first in-orbit manufacturing spacecraft on board SpaceX’s latest rideshare mission.  This project is fully operational, but had to start as a rigorous speculative design process – more sci-fi than real world. Until it wasn’t.  It is representative of the kind of project that will still feel like a faraway future, but is currently manufacturing a drug experiment in space.

Regulation and International Collaboration

Japan and the Future of Commercial Space: Japan has entered the commercial space race, by way of the Tokyo-based space startup ispace, inc.  Following are details about the company in the run-up to its 2022 maiden mission in partnership with SpaceX: the launch of a lunar lander – the first by a commercial space company. 

FCC Proposes New “Space Bureau” to Meet the Challenges of Commercial Space:  In late 2022, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a plan to reorganize the agency to better support the needs of the growing satellite industry, promote long-term technical capacity at the FCC, and navigate 21st-century global communications policy.

OODA Loop 2022 – The Future of Commercial Space:  A compilation of our research, analysis, risk awareness, pattern recognition, and sensemaking efforts related to the future of the commercial space industry over the course of 2022.

Additional OODA Loop Resources

The Future of Space: National Security, Cybersecurity, and AI/ML: Exploring the new national security and economic realities of The New Space Rush will be the closing keynote discussion with Lisa Costa, the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the US Space Force at OODAcon 2023.  Following is a compilation of recent OODA Analysis of the future of space, national security, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and machine learning – the implications of which OODA CTO Bob Gourley will be discussing with Costa next week.

Space Exploration Milestones of Note in 2023:  A compilation of the space exploration milestones featured here at OODA Loop in 2023.

For additional OODA Loops News Briefs and Original Analysis on Space Exploration, go to OODA Loop | Space

The Executive’s Guide to Space

The rapid pace of innovation in space is producing real capabilities which can be leveraged for businesses in every sector of the economy. There is a growing excitement over the many developments in the space industry, giving rise to many questions about how these developments will impact markets overall. This guide is meant to assist strategic planners in assessing developments in the space sector. For more see:  The Executive’s Guide To Commercial Use of Space

Security In Space and Security of Space

The last decade has seen an incredible increase in the commercial use of space. Businesses and individual consumers now leverage space solutions that are so integrated into our systems that they seem invisible. Some of these services include: Communications, including very high-speed low latency communications to distant and mobile users. Learn more at: OODA Research Report: What Business Needs To Know About Security In Space Also see: Is Space Critical Infrastructure, and the special report on Cyber Threats to Project Artemis, and Mitigating Threats To Commercial Space Satellites