Bridging the Gap:

From Earth Markets to New Space Markets

Today more than ever before, innovative technologies and business approaches have the potential to bridge the gap between existing markets and new space opportunities. Recognizing the magnitude of new market possibilities, a visionary group of international companies sponsored the third in a series of invitation-only business roundtables, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada on 17-19 July 2006. The global sponsorship team included (in alphabetical order): Alenia Spazio North America / Alcatel Alenia Space, The Boeing Company, Honeywell International, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lunar Transportation Systems, Mitsubishi Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Raytheon Company. Roundtable participants were almost exclusively from the business community, including startup as well as established firms, and non-space as well as space industry. Attendees traveled from Japan, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Canada, as well as the United States.

The focus of this dialogue was development of truly commercial markets, which have multiple customers in addition to governments. The primary purpose of the roundtable was to explore strategies for attracting private investment by reducing risk. Discussion addressed risks involving: market demand, residual value, funding availability, human factors, technical viability, and legal-regulatory constraints. Participants divided into small dialogue groups, focusing on one or more opportunities within a particular economic sector. Five sectors were considered:

•	Space solar power (power generation in space, for use on Earth and in space).
•	Space platforms (Earth orbit and in-space activities, including equipment servicing, microgravity manufacturing, Earth observation, astronomy, tourism/sports/entertainment, way stations for travel, etc.).
•	Lunar surface facilities (astronomy, manufacturing, resource utilization, tourism/sports/entertainment, construction, surface solar and nuclear power generation, etc.).
•	Services (transportation, fuel, communications, and navigation).
•	Information (advertising, branding, sponsorship, entertainment, education, journalism).

Beyond measures that industry can take to reduce risk, roundtable dialogue also addressed options for public sector action, involving government purchasing, investment, strategic planning, legal/regulatory frameworks, and policy initiatives, as well as models for government-industry collaboration. A variety of possibilities for future roundtables are under consideration, and one prominent theme involves increased effectiveness in helping private investors assess opportunities.

In the final analysis, the primary significance of the roundtable lies in stimulating dialogue among the broad spectrum of participating companies. Their combined efforts could serve as a powerful catalyst for emergence of new markets in space.