ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM SPACE: 'BUILDING BLOCKS'

摘要

Benefits from space activities are manifold and space activities remain prestigious playgrounds for the countries involved. Around 1990 space commercialization became an issue due to e.g. successes in telecommunication, overestimates of microgravity or hypersonics, and in light of declining budgets. Ever since economic factors of space projects are an important benchmark. Numerous commercial space ventures have been proposed and first public-private-partnerships (PPPs) have been launched. Politicians and space agencies, Space industry and R&D have started looking at nontechnical factors of their projects. Many commercial space projects have failed as many public activities face severe delays and budget overruns. Often appropriate financing is missing or projects are setup in a sub-optimal way. Other space endeavors are very efficient and provide either superior returns or visible public goods. This paper provides a building block approach with respect to economic benefit from space projects. Factors driving the success of a space project as e.g. markets, systems and technologies, management and organization, finance, partners, strategy, planning, culture, etc are highlighted in a simplified way based on their major drivers. Their interrelation and impact on mission success and related economic benefit will be explained followed by recommendations for future space missions. Backgrounds of the findings presented are experiences made by the author over almost 20 years involvement in space projects, venture capital, education and strategy on global level.