SpaceX Points of Light
SpaceX plan to expand space commerce
Everyone knows Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars but realistically that’s just the tip of the iceberg. SpaceX plan to create numerous space destinations, points of light in the dark firmament, to light the way for space commerce. Arguable the commercial space race has already begun, with new startups appearing almost daily, accompanied by investors keen to find the next SpaceX. However, instead of competing with these new players, SpaceX tries to support them, in a strategy designed to expand the overall space economy.
Low Earth Orbit
A variety of commercial companies are currently building space station modules, like Vast, Axiom and Voyager. Notably they have partnered with SpaceX for launch services and technical support, due to their cost advantage and technical mastery. Once complete, each space station will require regular crew and resupply missions plus reboost services, likely supplied by their existing launch partner.
SpaceX recently announced they will sell Starlink laser terminals to competing space companies. These terminals will allow anyone from small satellite operators to full sized space stations to access their Starlink network. The difference should be night and day compared to radio transceivers, considering laser terminals provide continuous connection, high bandwidth, secure communications.
SpaceX also manufacture small Starfall capsules, to help companies develop space manufacturing processes. Once these companies are ready to scale-up, they can rent space on commercial space stations to house their all manufacturing equipment. If they need more space still, they could lease a complete Starship, which can lift over 200 tons inside 1,000m3 of pressurized volume.
“Using [Star]ship itself as structure for new giant telescope that’s >10X Hubble resolution. Was talking to Saul Perlmutter (who’s awesome) & he suggested wanting to do that.” ~ Elon Musk/X
It seems space observatories will become commonplace once Starship enters service. These orbital observatories should have comparable cost to ground installations (thanks to Starship’s low launch cost) and allow far greater acuity.
Lastly, for anyone who wants to go beyond LEO, SpaceX will operate a chain of propellant depots, to refuel methalox spacecraft like Starship...
Cislunar Commerce
“SpaceX will lean in big on the Moon.” ~ Elon Musk/X
Cislunar operations seem a-ways off but SpaceX has an aggressive schedule to develop the Human Landing System [HLS], their lunar lander version of Starship: -
“SpaceX’s new tentative schedule for HLS, per internal document I obtained: - prop transfer June 2026, uncrewed lunar landing June 2027, crewed lunar landing Sept 2028.” ~ Audrey Decker/Politico
HLS can be used as a crew habitat, so it will likely become a nexus for NASA’s sustained lunar outpost. And if more living space is needed, additional Starships can easily be built and dispatched from Earth. Interestingly SpaceX plan to operate their own facility on the moon for commercial purposes.
“They [SpaceX] have a lunar business development manager who I have met with a few times. He told me in 2023 that SpaceX plans to stay on the Moon. I was discussing with him some possible business cases that a university might develop, taking advantage of low-cost Starship flights.” ~ Phil Metzger/X
Besides academic research, there are huge mining opportunities on the moon. Metallic asteroid ore litters the surface, potentially worth trillions for high grade noble metals and rare earths. Billions of tons of water lie frozen in the permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles, an invaluable resource this far from Earth. No doubt SpaceX plan to start propellant production on the moon using locally sourced water and carbon dioxide/monoxide as raw materials. This will allow Starships to refuel on the lunar surface and return to Earth direct, instead of shuttling between lunar orbit and the surface.
“Starship will end up doing the whole Moon mission. Mark my words.” ~ Elon Musk/X
Establishing a non-stop passenger and cargo service should make many things possible, There’s estimated to be 1-3 million tons of Helium-3 on the moon, currently worth ~$20bn per ton, mainly because it is used to cool quantum computers. The qubits employed by these computers are suspended in a quantum state, hence highly susceptible to outside interference, i.e. electromagnetic waves, heat and vibration. However, permanently shadowed craters at the lunar poles are largely sheltered from these effects, making them an ideal environment to operate quantum computers.
“Quantum computing is best done in the permanently shadowed craters on the Moon.” ~ Elon Musk/X
Overall SpaceX has numerous reasons to operate on the moon, considering all the potential commercial applications. Again, once they have cislunar infrastructure in-place it should accelerate the entire space economy.
Mars Settlement
The moon will essentially become an advert for Mars, because following the lunar gold rush, Mars will be seen as the next big thing. Elon Musk plans to move to Mars to help establish the settlement, and his presence there will become a big draw for entrepreneurs and engineers.
“…[Mars] that’s really where a tremendous amount of entrepreneurship and talent would flourish, just as happened in California when the Union Pacific railroad was completed. And when they were building the Union Pacific, people said it was a super dumb idea because ‘there is hardly anybody living in California.’ But now today we have sort of at least, U.S. epicenter of tech development and entertainment and it’s the biggest state in the nation.” ~ Elon Musk
No doubt SpaceX will do everything possible to make Mars the capital for entrepreneurs and tech development The nascent Mars settlement will require a huge amount of tech to thrive given its austere environment. The systems sent from Earth will only be the first iteration, and need continuous improvement as the settlement grows and demand increases.
Fortunately the red planet is well placed for future space expansion and possesses almost ideal launch conditions i.e. thin atmosphere coupled with low gravity. SpaceX senior management work closely with Elon, so at some point SpaceX will likely relocate its head quarters to Mars, further increasing the draw for skilled engineers. They certainly won’t lack for challenges, to create a self-sustaining colony with its own tech-based economy.
In Conclusion
SpaceX is building a railway to the stars with plenty of stops along the way at commercial settlements. The services SpaceX provide to these points of light settlements will enable a multitude of companies and talented individuals to enter this new realm of commerce.
The moon will become a billboard for what’s possible with planetary colonization. Then it’s on to Mars to discover humanity’s true potential.