by Mark W. McElroy Jr (Author)
The Space Industry of the Future consists
of the first instance of guidance for the space industry on how value
creation in space can occur for the greater benefit of humanity using
principles of capitalism and sustainability. The timing of this book is
ideal given (1) sustainability challenges facing humanity and (2) that
the growth of the commercial space economy is now occurring at a rate
never seen before. This book presents an opportune guide written for
technical, business, and policy practitioners alike that frames how this
industry growth should occur from an integrated values and commercial
perspective. This perspective is presented in the context of the modern
technical capabilities of space systems relative to the world’s greatest
problems.
The guidance contained in this book for
the growing commercial space industry includes considerations beyond
profit seeking alone. This guidance is founded on a bespoke value
creation criteria to apply in the context of for-profit outer space
activities that, if used, will result in the maximum value creation that
a company is capable of. The criteria are developed and presented
through a rigorous discussion on capitalism, economics, value theory,
the circular economy, stakeholder management, and ethics. The value
creation criteria are then discussed at length in relation to the space
industry.
The primary audience for this book is
practitioners within the space industry; this includes investors,
business managers, policy makers, engineers, and scientists. The
secondary audience includes students and researchers, as well as a
growing range of parties interested in space policy and
entrepreneurship.
