Technological Innovations: Enabling Sustainable Space Infrastructure

Trend Overview

Technological breakthroughs in propulsion, additive manufacturing, radiation protection, and AI-driven autonomous systems are transforming mission architectures and operational economics.

Economic and Partnership Perspectives

• Reusable Launch Vehicles: The cost per kilogram to orbit is rapidly decreasing due to reusability, spearheaded by private companies and supported by governmental launch service procurement strategies.

• In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU): ISRU technologies developed through multinational collaborations promise to reduce dependence on Earth resupply, creating new industrial ecosystems on the Moon and Mars.

• Radiation Mitigation Materials: Companies worldwide, including emerging startups in Europe, North America, and Asia, are innovating advanced materials to shield astronauts and equipment, unlocking longer-duration missions.

• AI and Autonomous Systems: Autonomous rendezvous, docking, and on-orbit servicing reduce operational costs and increase mission flexibility, essential for commercial satellite constellations and deep space exploration.