Deloitte Forecasts Moon Economy Could Reach $566 Billion by 2050

Deloitte said the moon economy could reach $566 billion by 2050 in an accelerated-growth scenario, or $343 billion in a more conservative case. According to Sina Finance, the consultancy also estimated another $541 billion in potential value from scientific advances in space, new energy, and innovative commercial applications. The report was coauthored by Deloitte Space leader Brett Lobert and Raquel Buscaino, head of the emerging index technology team. Buscaino said the uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding the still-unimagined market are not necessarily warning signs, but rather represent major opportunities for growth. Deloitte said its model drew on more than 25 interviews and 400 model inputs, and divided the opportunity into two value segments. It estimated that the market for transportation, energy, communications, life support, and construction could reach $282 billion by 2050, with transportation accounting for $206 billion. The second segment covers businesses enabled by that infrastructure, including national security, helium-3 mining, rocket propellant, orbital computing, and space manufacturing. Deloitte estimated that segment could be worth as much as $284 billion. The report also said capital is already flowing into space. Seraphim data showed space technology investment reached $7.5 billion in the second quarter, while total investment over the past 12 months hit a record $23 billion.