BACKBONE SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE
Foundations for expansion
Backbone Space Infrastructure
The upfront expense associated with establishing foundations to catalyse the self-perpetuating growth of a compelling space ecosystem is highly dependent on what infrastructure is prioritised; market network effects will vary disproportionately.
In-Space Transportation Systems: These would include advanced propulsion systems, fuel depots, and navigation aids to facilitate travel within the solar system.
Communication Networks: Robust, reliable communication systems would be needed to maintain data links between different locations in the solar system.
Space Stations: Habitats and workspaces in strategic locations, such as Earth orbit, lunar orbit, Lagrange points, Mars orbit, etc.
Resource Extraction and Processing Facilities: These would be used to extract and process resources from celestial bodies or the solar wind.
In-Space Manufacturing and Assembly Facilities: Facilities to produce and assemble components in space, reducing the need to launch everything from Earth.
Energy Generation and Distribution Infrastructure: This could include solar power satellites, nuclear reactors, and laser arrays.
Spaceports: These would serve as hubs for the launch, arrival, and servicing of spacecraft, located on celestial bodies or in space itself.
Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Systems: Analogous to GPS, but designed to provide coverage across the solar system.
Cargo and Personnel Transfer Vehicles: Systems for moving people and goods between different parts of a spacecraft, between spacecraft, or between spacecraft and celestial bodies.
Automated Repair and Servicing Systems: Robots and other systems capable of performing repairs, maintenance, and upgrades to space infrastructure.
Asteroid & Dust Defence & Removal Systems: Infrastructure to detect and deflect or remove potential threats to celestial bodies, such as asteroids, and to space infrastructure such as inter-planetary dust and debris.
Space Agriculture Systems: Infrastructure for growing food in space or on celestial bodies, contributing to life support and sustainability.
In-Space Propellant Production Facilities & Depots: Infrastructure for producing rocket propellant from locally sourced materials, such as water from the Moon or asteroids.
Space Weather Monitoring Systems: Infrastructure to monitor space weather and provide warnings to protect other space infrastructure.
Backbone Space Data
Sets of data sourced through exploration and research that will be central to enabling and optimising the broad range of commercial activities envisioned in the solar system include:
Resource Mapping: Detailed surveys of potential resources, such as water ice or mineral deposits on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.
Space Weather Data: Information on solar and celestial body radiation, solar wind, and cosmic rays, which can impact the safety and functionality of spacecraft and astronauts.
Orbital Mechanics Data: Understanding the gravitational fields and paths of celestial bodies for navigation, rendezvous, and resource planning.
Geological Data: Information about the geology and regolith properties of celestial bodies to support activities like mining, construction, and landing.
Atmospheric Data: Information about the atmospheres of planets and moons, crucial for aerobraking, landing, thermals, and life support systems.
Human Health Data: Longitudinal data on the impacts of living in space on human health, necessary for planning long-duration missions and permanent settlements.
Magnetosphere Data: Understanding the magnetic fields of celestial bodies, which can impact radiation shielding and spacecraft operations.
Space Debris Tracking Data: Tracking of objects in orbit around Earth or other celestial bodies, essential for collision avoidance.
Celestial Body Internal Structure Data: Understanding the internal structure of celestial bodies, which can impact activities like drilling, and mining.
Spacecraft Performance Data: Data on how different materials and systems perform in the space environment, important for design and engineering.
Biological Experiment Data: Results of experiments on how different organisms respond to the space environment, which can inform the design of life support systems.
Celestial Body Surface Topography Data: High-resolution mapping of surface features, crucial for landing site selection, infrastructure planning, and exploration.