SpaceX Distrupting The Space Race

Elon Musk is at it again. He is seeking to do in space what he is doing to the automobile industry with Tesla.

He already disrupted the cozy deal that United Launch Alliance had. By implementing reusable rockets, SpaceX was able to seriously reduce the cost of each mission.

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The same was true with the introduction of their small satellite launch system. Here, the company sends up a rocket full of small satellites which then are put into orbit. This took on added peril to other companies when SpaceX started to offer ridesharing. Under this scenario, companies can place their satellites alongside the payload going up, thus reducing the cost to the ridesharer.

In response, Northrop Grumman began a "spacetug" program where other companies can have their satellites relocated, refueled, and refurbished without having to bring them down. This could save Grumman customer billions of dollars.

The ongoing battle took on added meaning when SpaceX secured its first "rideshare" customer. A startup satellite company called Momentus agreed to the inaugural flight towards the end of 2020.

What makes this company so unique is its vision for the "spacetug" concept. Its product is, essentially, a motor that will attach itself to other satellites and push it to the targeted orbit. Thus, satellites can be launched without engines, reducing both the weight and, thus, cost.

It is estimated that one Momentus engine could service 10 satellites.

Right now, this is a customer of SpaceX. However, there is the possibility that the company becomes a partner for the space rebels. An affiliation between these two companies would serve as a catalyst for even greater disruption.

The space race is one of the most intriguing competitions there is. We see hundreds of companies involved, all playing to the tune of billions. It is a game that has a lot of money riding on it since the payoff can be so great. For example, SpaceX's Starlink system is designed to provide global communications replacing the need for cable or mobile services. With a projected market of 8 billion people, this could be enormous.

Of course, there are other companies vying for that market too. Blue Origin and OneWeb are two companies that are seeking to beat Musk at that game.

As costs are being reduced, the barrier of entry is rapidly falling. This is allowing more entrants into the space game, providing further innovation. With projects such as trips to the moon and Mars on the agenda, space tourism is finding suitors willing to invest in it. At the same time, space mining is seeing billions invested in hopes of being able to drill on near asteroids, some that have an estimated take in the quadrillions.

We are seeing a lot of high stake games being played. SpaceX, led by Musk, seems to be pushing the envelop at every turn. This is no surprise considering what he is doing with his terrestrial companies.

The next couple of decades will be fun to watch on this front.

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