Executive Summary

As the space industry grows increasingly complex, is it time for a common framework that helps explain how the various layers of the emerging space economy fit together?

This article proposes an early draft of what I am calling the Space Economy Architecture (SEA), inspired by the layered reference models that helped organize and accelerate the growth of the computer industry. The objective is not to define a standard. It is to start a discussion.

Why a Space Economy Architecture?

One of the reasons the computer industry was able to scale so successfully was the development of common architectural frameworks that helped engineers understand increasingly complex systems.

The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is perhaps the best-known example. Rather than treating networking as a single monolithic system, it organized the industry into layers. In a layered architecture, each layer provides capabilities to the layers above it while relying on capabilities provided by the layers below. This allows increasingly complex systems to emerge without requiring every participant to understand the entire stack. Engineers could focus on specific domains while still understanding how their work fit into the broader ecosystem.

The value of the OSI model was not that it perfectly described every network. Its value was that it created a common language for discussing complexity.

The space industry may be approaching a similar point. Discussions about the future of space often focus on individual technologies, companies, or missions. Launch providers, satellite constellations, lunar landers, orbital stations, resource extraction systems, power infrastructure, and future settlements are frequently discussed as separate topics. Yet all of these systems ultimately depend upon one another.

Layer	Primary Function	Representative Organizations
0	Foundational Technologies	NVIDIA, Microsoft, Google
1	Earth Space Infrastructure	NASA, SpaceX, ESA
2	Earth-to-Orbit Transportation	SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA
3	In-Space Transportation	Impulse Space, Orbit Fab, Astroscale
4	Cislunar Transportation	NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin
5	Lunar Access	Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, Blue Origin
6	Surface Mobility	Astrolab, Lunar Outpost, Toyota/JAXA
7	Space Infrastructure	Axiom Space, Redwire, Vast
8	Space Industry	AstroForge, Interlune, ispace
9	Settlement & Civilization	Not Yet Established

Before diving into the framework itself, there are a few initial questions that you may be able to help me better understand. I invite perspectives from professionals across the industry.

Some initial questions:

• Are these the right layers?
• Which layers are missing?
• Should communications and navigation have their own layer?
• Where do space stations fit?
• Should transportation be divided differently?
• Is a layered architecture even the right way to model the space economy?
• Is a framework like this useful, or does it oversimplify the industry?

If the concept has merit, perhaps the model can evolve through collaboration and discussion.

A Draft Space Economy Architecture (SEA)

The framework below represents an initial attempt to organize the emerging space economy into layers. The definitions are intentionally broad and almost certainly incomplete.

For simplicity, the architecture can be grouped into three major categories:

Foundation Layers

• Layer 0 – Foundational Technologies
• Layer 1 – Earth Space Infrastructure

Transportation Layers

• Layer 2 – Earth-to-Orbit Transportation
• Layer 3 – In-Space Transportation
• Layer 4 – Cislunar Transportation
• Layer 5 – Lunar Access
• Layer 6 – Surface Mobility

Economic Layers

• Layer 7 – Space Infrastructure
• Layer 8 – Space Industry
• Layer 9 – Settlement & Civilization

The examples shown above are intended to be illustrative rather than exhaustive. Many organizations span multiple layers, and some layers remain far more mature than others.

Understanding the Layers

Foundation Layers

The foundation layers are largely invisible to most discussions about the future of space, yet every higher layer depends upon them. Much as modern aviation depends upon advances in computing, materials, communications, and manufacturing, the space economy is built upon technologies and infrastructure that often receive far less attention than the vehicles and missions they enable.

Layer 0 – Foundational Technologies

This layer includes the technologies that make the modern space industry possible:

• Computing
• Software
• Artificial Intelligence
• Telecommunications
• Robotics
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Energy Systems

Representative organizations include NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Google. While these companies are not typically viewed as part of the space industry, many of the computing, cloud, AI, and software capabilities used throughout the space ecosystem ultimately depend upon technologies they helped pioneer.

Without these technologies there would be no launch vehicles, mission control centers, tracking systems, spacecraft, or lunar infrastructure. This layer exists largely outside the space industry itself, yet it underpins everything above it.

Layer 1 – Earth Space Infrastructure

The next layer consists of the terrestrial infrastructure required to access and operate in space:

• Launch sites
• Mission control centers
• Ground stations
• Tracking networks
• Manufacturing facilities
• Integration facilities
• Test facilities

Representative organizations include NASA, SpaceX, and the European Space Agency (ESA). These organizations operate or support much of the infrastructure required for modern space operations, including launch facilities, tracking networks, mission operations, and testing facilities.

If Layer 0 provides the technological foundation, Layer 1 provides the operational foundation. Every launch, mission, and transportation system depends on this infrastructure.

Transportation Layers

One of the most interesting observations that emerged while developing this framework is that transportation occupies five of the ten proposed layers.

That may simply reflect where the industry currently is in its development. Before large-scale industry, commerce, and settlement can emerge beyond Earth, the transportation systems that support them must first exist. In many ways, today’s space industry resembles the era when railroads, shipping lines, ports, and aviation networks were being established on Earth before the economies they would eventually support reached maturity.

Layer 2 – Earth-to-Orbit Transportation

This layer moves people and cargo from Earth’s surface into orbit.

Representative organizations include SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Examples include:

• Falcon 9
• Starship
• New Glenn
• Vulcan
• Ariane 6
• Long March

This is currently the most mature commercial transportation layer and arguably the layer that has attracted the largest amount of investment, engineering talent, and public attention. It provides access to space itself. Without it, every higher layer disappears.

Layer 3 – In-Space Transportation

Once cargo reaches orbit, it often needs to move elsewhere. Satellites require orbital insertion, spacecraft require servicing, and future space infrastructure may require the movement of equipment, propellant, and resources between destinations. This layer focuses on mobility within Earth orbit.

This layer may include:

• Space tugs
• Orbital transfer vehicles
• Refueling systems
• Propellant depots
• Satellite servicing systems

Representative organizations include Impulse Space, Orbit Fab, and Astroscale.

In many ways, this layer resembles the trucking, rail, and freight networks that distribute goods after they arrive at a port or airport. While still in its early stages, in-space transportation may eventually become one of the most important enabling layers of the space economy.

Layer 4 – Cislunar Transportation

This layer extends transportation beyond Earth orbit into the Earth-Moon system and provides logistics between gravitational systems, Earth-Moon transportation network and future Mars transportation network.

Potential examples include:

• Cargo transports
• Crew transports
• Logistics vehicles
• Gateway support systems

Representative organizations currently include NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin.

If Layer 2 created access to orbit, Layer 4 begins creating transportation corridors between worlds. This layer remains relatively immature today, but it may become one of the most strategically important transportation systems developed during the next two decades.

Layer 5 – Lunar Access

Reaching lunar orbit is not the same as reaching the lunar surface. Cargo, equipment, and eventually people must still descend safely through the final stage of the journey.

This layer includes the systems responsible for transporting people and cargo between orbit and the Moon:

• Blue Moon
• Starship HLS
• Blue Ghost
• Nova-C
• Griffin

Representative organizations include Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, and Blue Origin.

Just as ports connect ocean transportation to inland transportation on Earth, lunar landers connect cislunar transportation systems to surface operations.

Layer 6 – Surface Mobility

Transportation does not end upon arrival. Economic activity requires movement across the lunar surface.

Potential systems include:

• Astrolab FLEX
• Lunar Outpost vehicles
• Toyota/JAXA concepts
• Autonomous cargo haulers

Representative organizations include Astrolab, Lunar Outpost, and Toyota/JAXA.

Future mobility systems may transport people, cargo, resources, construction equipment, and infrastructure components across large distances on the Moon. The role they play may ultimately resemble the role of trucks, railroads, construction equipment, and utility vehicles during the development of terrestrial economies.

A lunar economy requires transportation to the Moon. It also requires transportation on the Moon.

Economic Layers

The upper layers represent the activities that transportation ultimately enables.

Transportation enables infrastructure. Infrastructure enables industry. Industry enables settlement.

While many discussions about the future of space focus on mining, manufacturing, and future cities on the Moon or Mars, the framework suggests that these activities may depend upon a substantial transportation and infrastructure foundation that must first be established.

Layer 7 – Space Infrastructure

Once transportation systems exist, infrastructure can begin to emerge. This layer may eventually include:

• Power generation and distribution
• Communications networks
• Navigation systems
• Habitats
• Resource processing facilities
• Data infrastructure

Representative organizations may include Axiom Space, Redwire, and Vast.

One question I continue to wrestle with is whether this should remain a single layer or eventually be divided into multiple infrastructure layers. Power, communications, navigation, and habitation could each evolve into major industries with architectures of their own.

Layer 8 – Space Industry

This layer represents productive economic activity.

Potential examples include:

• Mining
• Resource extraction
• Propellant production
• Manufacturing
• Scientific facilities
• Data centers

Representative organizations may include AstroForge, Interlune, and ispace.

Infrastructure enabled industrial development on Earth. It may play a similar role beyond Earth. However, this layer remains highly speculative because many of the business models, technologies, and markets are still emerging.

Layer 9 – Settlement & Civilization

The highest layer represents permanent communities and the broader social and economic systems that emerge around them.

Potential examples include:

• Permanent workforce
• Local governance
• Communities
• Universities
• Research institutions
• Tourism
• Commerce
• Civic infrastructure

Unlike the lower layers, there are currently no organizations that fit neatly within this category because the layer itself does not yet exist in a meaningful economic sense.

That observation may be one of the most important insights of the framework. Much of today’s space industry is focused on building the transportation and infrastructure layers required before large-scale settlement can emerge. At this level, transportation becomes increasingly invisible while the activities it enables become increasingly important.

At this level, transportation becomes increasingly invisible while the activities it enables become increasingly important.

What the Framework Reveals

While the layer definitions are interesting, the most valuable aspect of the exercise may be the insights that emerge from viewing the industry as a system.

Transportation Dominates the Architecture

Five of the ten proposed layers involve transportation.

That suggests the industry remains heavily focused on building the transportation backbone required before large-scale economic activity can emerge. Much of today’s innovation, investment, and engineering effort appears concentrated on solving transportation challenges that previous generations never had the opportunity to address.

During the industrialization of North America, railroads were not the economy. They were the infrastructure that enabled mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and cities to emerge. The transportation layers of the space economy may play a similar role.

We may spend the next twenty years building transportation and infrastructure before the space economy itself truly arrives.

Infrastructure May Be the Missing Middle Layer

Many discussions jump directly from transportation to mining, manufacturing, and settlement. The framework suggests there may be a critical intermediate step.

Before industry can flourish, transportation networks may first need to support the development of power systems, communications networks, navigation systems, habitats, and resource processing facilities.

In other words, transportation alone does not create an economy. It creates the conditions that allow infrastructure to emerge.

The Architecture Is Destination-Agnostic

Although this discussion naturally gravitates toward the Moon, the framework itself is not lunar-specific.

The same architecture could potentially apply to:

• Earth orbit
• Lunar development
• Asteroid operations
• Mars settlements
• Future destinations not yet seriously considered

The destination may change. The underlying architecture may remain remarkably similar.

Layers as Service Providers

One aspect of the OSI analogy that I find particularly compelling is that each layer provides services to the layer above while depending on the layers below.

• Launch systems provide access to orbit.
• In-space transportation provides mobility within space.
• Lunar access provides surface delivery.
• Surface mobility provides local logistics.
• Infrastructure provides power, communications, and habitation.
• Industry provides economic output.

Viewed this way, the architecture becomes less about categorizing technologies and more about understanding dependencies.

Continuing the Discussion

The purpose of SEA is not to predict the future. It is to provide a common language for discussing it and, at this time, this framework is intentionally incomplete.

The more I worked through it, the more questions emerged. Should communications and navigation be separate layers? Where do orbital stations belong? Does a single architecture adequately describe Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and future destinations? Are there entirely new layers missing from the model?

The larger question may be whether a layered architecture is even the right abstraction. Perhaps the space economy is better described as a network, ecosystem, or value chain.

This draft is one attempt to begin that conversation.

I’d be interested in hearing what others would change.