By Futurist Thomas Frey
The Question About Space That Nobody Frames Correctly
When will the space economy take off? Wrong question. It’s not a single event—it’s a sequence of distinct industrial waves, each building infrastructure for the next, each operating on different timeframes with different economics.
We’re not waiting for “the space age” to arrive. We’re entering orbital economy’s first major expansion phase, where multiple industries establish operations simultaneously but on staggered timelines. Understanding which industries deploy when—and why—reveals how orbital infrastructure develops from experimental to essential over the next two decades.
I’m actively researching how orbital industrialization will unfold and would genuinely appreciate reader input on what I’m missing, misunderstanding, or underestimating. What follows is my current thinking on the sequence—but I’m certain there are gaps, timing errors, and entire categories I haven’t identified.
Let me walk you through the waves of orbital industrialization, the economic logic driving each phase, and why 2026-2045 represents genuine inflection point where space stops being frontier and becomes economy.
Continue reading… “The Orbital Economy Ramp-Up: How Space Industry Evolves in Waves, Not All at Once”
