NASA in the Lower Earth Orbit
Parsons School of Design
Integrated Studio Collaboration with NASA | 2022
The commercial Space age is already here and rapidly expanding. More and more companies are entering the Space market and private industries are starting to flourish. According to Morgan Stanley Research forecasts Space exploration is the next trillion-dollar industry. Over the 21 years of continuous human presence in the Space, NASA has been one of the core players in the Low-Earth orbit along with other international government organizations, however, trends now are changing and the International Space Station (ISS), which NASA is using as a platform for scientific research and technology demonstration is now shifting towards commercial use, enabling private astronaut missions and research.
Low-Earth orbit (LEO) economy is the future getaway into deep space exploration and better innovations on Earth and Space. It will also help the planet create sustainable supply chains and support the development of various economies on Earth.
NASA has announced its plan to deorbit ISS from LEO in 2031; NASA’s goal is to be one of many customers in a robust commercial marketplace in LEO, where cargo and crew transportation, as well as the destinations, are available as services to the agency. This will allow NASA to buy the services it needs from commercial companies for microgravity research and technology demonstrations while the agency explores the Moon and Mars.
Hence, we have asked ourselves one big question:
What is the new LEO Economy, and what is NASA’s role within it?
Gaps
Partnerships, models and the LEO economy are being thought
about separately
Opportunities
The LEO economy can be anchored
in (various) ideal economic models; Partnerships are a part of a greater whole (LEO economy)
The LEO economy is being thought of as one economy
The LEO economy can be expanded into multiple economies, formal
and informal in nature
The LEO economy is being thought about primarily from the standpoint of the SpaceTech industry
The LEO economies must include various horizontal and vertical industries
to ensure their long term survival
ISS' future presence & role in LEO is being thought about as both its physical presence on CLDs, as well as the LEO and deep space SME
There is potential for ISS to play an even bigger role by tapping into the ISS' (and NASA's) broader "soft" and "hard" powers
The Process
