These 4 innovators are space pioneers

The space economy was worth almost $470 billion in 2021.

Most of that money was generated by the commercial sector, which accounts for the majority of space traffic, according to research by the Space Foundation. Over 1,000 spacecraft were put into orbit in the first six months of this year, more than were launched in the first 52 years of space exploration (1957-2009).

Technological innovation has significantly reduced costs as well as creating new capabilities, fueling a ‘space renaissance’. It is also helping efforts to make the economy on Earth more sustainable.

The rapidly growing infrastructure in the sky is opening up new uses and users for space assets. Here are four companies, all members of the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovators Community, among those leading innovation projects in space.

If you have ever wanted to sip champagne while eating dinner and taking in panoramic views of earth more than 30 kilometres above it, your opportunity may not be too far away. Florida-based company Space Perspective is aiming to begin tourist trips to the edge of space in 2024. However, at $125,000 per head, the six-hour return trip won’t be affordable to all.

The cost to the planet will be a lot less, according to Space Perspective, which says it has developed the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceship. Its capsule, Spaceship Neptune, is propelled by renewable hydrogen, so will produce near-zero emissions.

A food company based in Israel has been experimenting with growing lab-cultivated meat - in space. Aleph Farms hopes its project will help make it a leader in the sustainable food sector. It’s also looking to develop techniques to provide a self-sustaining food system to provide fresh food for astronauts as space exploration programmes grow.

The company says it wants to better understand the effects of microgravity on some of the processes involved in muscle tissue formation in cow cells to produce cultivated steak.

“The processes we are validating in space can then be transferred to our mainstream production on Earth to help us increase efficiencies and reduce our environmental footprint. Our space program will ultimately help us develop more sustainable and resilient food systems anywhere,” it says.

A US aerospace company says it wants to “make humanity multiplanetary” and put a million people on Mars. Relativity Space uses 3D-printing to make reusable rockets and is building the world’s largest 3D-printing factory. “Somebody has to build the company that's going to create infrastructure on Mars, and it's going to have to be based on 3D printing”, says Chief Executive and Co-Founder Tim Ellis.

The company says its techniques can build rockets 10 times faster than using traditional methods, enabling “faster, more frequent and lower cost access to space”. Ellis says new space technology can help solve the climate crisis, because “many of the challenges we're going to have are also going to help us solve the climate issue on Earth, because it's all about scarce resources, human ingenuity, doing more with less”.

Axion Space operates missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for space agencies, companies and individuals. These support the research and testing of new technologies and in-space manufacturing to enable future space exploration. Research project areas include regenerative medicine, accelerated disease modelling and pharmaceutical development.

It is also building the world’s first commercial space station, the successor to the ISS which is scheduled to be retired this decade.

“Starting in late 2024, Axiom crews will visit Axiom modules attached to ISS as we construct the permanent, future home for humans in space. The station’s unfolding Axiom segment will contain increased and upgraded space for research and manufacturing, [as well as] 21st century amenities for space travellers.”

The World Economic Forum’s Global Innovators Community is a group of the world’s most promising start-up and scale-up organizations. To be invited to participate they must be at the forefront of ethical technological and business model innovation.

The Forum provides the community with access to public and private sector leaders to contribute new solutions to overcome crises and build future resiliency. They will engage with the Forum’s Platforms to help define the global agenda on key issues.