A Customer Discovery-Led Study of the Space Economy

Who are the customers of the space economy and what are their needs?


Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative together with the Thunderbird Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy, and Business will conduct an in-depth investigation into the current and near-future state of the space economy, highlighting areas of opportunity and concerns for global actors through the lens of space economy customers. The emphasis will be on understanding the drivers that will influence the sustainability of a global space economy.

Key accomplishments

  • Secured a collaboration with MilkWayEconomy and NewSpace Finance as co-authors.
  • Completed interviews and disseminated survey(s) for the report and have nearly 50 responses.
  • Hosting a hybrid webinar/presentation on the topic of “Economic Sustainability Factors from the Space Economy” on May 17, 2024, at the ASU Thunderbird Campus. The webinar will focus on the factors that can create economic sustainability industry-wide. 

Project contact: 

Greg Autry

Zaheer Ali

Funding years:

2023-2024

Team members

Greg Autry

Clinical Professor (FSC) Thunderbird School of Global Management

Project Co-Lead

Zaheer Ali

Thunderbird School of Global Management, Space Leadership, Business, and Policy

Project Co-Lead

Bryce Kennedy

President, Association of Commercial Space Professionals

David Lusk

Student

Jacob Weiser

Student

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