The Economist to launch Space Economy Summit on Oct. 11-12

a rocket flies above a red planet
Promotional art for The Economist's Space Economy Summit held on Oct. 11-12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Image credit: The Economist)

As access to space continues to expand and humanity prepares to return to the moon to establish a sustainable off-world presence, private companies are laying the groundwork for a new economy in space.

To help highlight the new opportunities that a space-based economy will provide, The Economist is launching its first-ever Space Economy Summit. The event will be held Oct. 11-12 in Los Angeles, California and can be attended both in person or virtually. 

Some of the topics that will be discussed at the summit include spaceflight sustainability and space debris mitigation, on-orbit manufacturing, Earth observation and long-term space commercialization and exploration. "While space has always captured imagination, its commercial, social, and environmental potential is now more tangible than ever," a press statement points out. "As the space industry continues to advance, the Space Economy Summit will highlight the vast opportunities it is enabling across sectors."

Related: DARPA wants to build a 'thriving commercial economy' on the moon in 10 years

Over 100 speakers from the space sector and beyond will share their ideas for a new off-world economy in over 60 sessions at the summit. Speakers include: Peter Beck, President and CEO of Rocket Lab; Dr Laurie Leshin, Director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Sir Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom; Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw of United States Space Command; and Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space.

The summit is meant to help leaders in the commercial and governmental space sectors alike share ideas that can move the burgeoning new off-world economy forward. 

"Today, space is everyone's business. The rapid expansion of the industry presents immense opportunities to collaborate across all sectors" said Helen Ponsford, Head of Trade, Technology, Industry Events Programming at The Economist, in a press statement. "We are excited that the Space Economy Summit will facilitate pivotal conversations about realizing the full potential of new space. Speakers and attendees alike will leave with actionable ideas to help accelerate innovation in the space economy."

For more details and registration information, visit the Space Economy Summit's official website.

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Brett Tingley
Managing Editor, Space.com

Brett is curious about emerging aerospace technologies, alternative launch concepts, military space developments and uncrewed aircraft systems. Brett's work has appeared on Scientific American, The War Zone, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery and more. Brett has English degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his free time, Brett enjoys skywatching throughout the dark skies of the Appalachian mountains.