Economic Opportunity Created Through Sustained Lunar Habitation by 2040 – Roadmapping the Opportunities, Technologies, and Challenges of Sustained Lunar Habitation by 2040.
October 11, 2023 – The purpose of the NewSpace Global (NSG) 2023 Lunar Habitation Report (the “Report”) is to provide a financially focused market overview of, and roadmap to, sustained lunar habitation . The report seeks to highlight opportunities for investors in this emerging sector of the NewSpace economy while also educating readers about emerging opportunities, technologies, and challenges of lunar exploration . While there is sustained optimism about the emerging lunar market, NSG analysts see many technical and economic challenges that could make sustained lunar habitation a more long-term investment.
The concept of lunar habitation holds profound implications for scientific exploration, resource utilization, and the expansion of human civilization beyond Earth . This report provides an overview of the economic opportunities, essential technologies, challenges, and a timeline for the development of lunar habitation by 2040 and beyond.
Lunar resources are a potential goldmine, offering economic promise at various time horizons . These resources include water ice for propellant and life support (near term), solar power (medium term), rare minerals and metals (long term), and helium-3 for nuclear fusion (longer term) . The growing market demand for lunar-derived resources necessitates an economic analysis, balancing production costs against return on investment . Key factors influencing this analysis include advancements in the energy sector, space-based manufacturing, Earth’s resource constraints, and potential international investments.