Toward a Scalable Space Economy: Infrastructure, Mobility, and Maryland’s Advantage
When people imagine the new space economy, they often picture the cool stuff — rockets, astronauts, breathtaking images from deep space.
But as Georgie Brophy, Co-Founder and Officer of the Maryland Aerospace Alliance, noted while moderating this spaceNEXT 2026 panel, behind all of that spectacle lies something less glamorous — and absolutely critical:
Infrastructure.
From physical realities in orbit to enabling technologies, mobility architectures, operational systems, and workforce development, the discussion made one thing clear: if the new space economy is going to scale, it will be built on foundational systems — not headlines.
Designing for the Harshest Realities
Dr. Christine Hartzell, aerospace engineering professor at the University of Maryland and Director of the Astra Center for Space Technology Research, began with a sobering reminder: space is unforgiving.
In low Earth orbit (LEO), radiation, drag, and debris dominate design constraints. But beyond LEO — on the Moon, in cislunar space, or on Mars — the challenges multiply. Plasma effects, spacecraft charging, and abrasive, electrostatically “sticky” lunar dust introduce hazards that can undermine long-term exploration.
Engineering for reliability in these environments is not just a technical question — it’s an economic one. Government science missions may over-design for longevity, but commercial systems must balance risk and return. As commercial actors expand beyond LEO, acceptable risk thresholds — and definitions of “reliability” — will evolve.
Optical Communications and the Interoperability Gap
Kush Patel, CEO of Relative Dynamics, highlighted a different kind of constraint: interoperability.
The industry is rapidly shifting toward optical communications to meet surging data demands between satellites and ground systems. But the challenge isn’t just building the hardware — it’s aligning requirements across government agencies, constellations, and ground infrastructure.
On paper, connectivity seems straightforward. In orbit, mismatched standards and overly specific requirements often prevent true interoperability. Unlike terrestrial IT systems — where interoperability is assumed — space systems are still struggling to create plug-and-play architectures.
The lesson: technical feasibility requires not just innovation, but shared standards and infrastructure alignment from ground to orbit.
In-Space Mobility: The Missing Layer
Phil Bracken, CTO of Quantum Space, focused on what may be the most underdeveloped layer of all: in-space mobility.
As missions increasingly assume persistent activity across multiple orbits, mobility becomes a core enabler. Today, companies can iterate quickly in LEO, thanks largely to reduced launch costs. But experimenting in GEO or mid-Earth orbit remains expensive and slow.
Bracken argued that a true infrastructure layer would allow companies to test, reposition, and mature technologies in situ — just as terrestrial industries test products on vehicles, aircraft, or UAVs. Without that mobility layer, innovation stalls under high costs and long launch timelines.
Lower LEO launch costs have dramatically reduced barriers to entry. But as panelists emphasized, LEO is just the beginning. Scaling beyond it requires new mobility solutions, redundancy, and infrastructure that allow companies to fail fast, iterate, and try again.
Separating PowerPoint from Proof
A recurring theme was realism.
Space is hard. It takes years to design, build, and launch even “simple” systems. The panelists stressed the importance of accelerating cycles from concept to on-orbit validation to avoid a market flooded with companies that remain perpetually in PowerPoint mode.
John Horn of Capella Space (an IonQ company) offered a powerful example. Capella’s first commercially viable satellite came only after two failed launches and roughly two and a half years of iteration. Today, the company produces up to 12 satellites per year.
Success, the panel agreed, comes from disciplined engineering cultures, iterative testing, and leveraging lower-cost launch opportunities to raise Technology Readiness Levels step by step.
Fail fast — but fail smart.
Talent as Infrastructure
Beyond hardware and mobility, the panel turned to workforce.
Dr. Hartzell noted that students entering aerospace today no longer see NASA or legacy primes as their only options. The rise of commercial space has broadened career pathways and made space feel more accessible.
Maryland’s ecosystem plays a critical role here. Anchored by NASA Goddard and the University of Maryland, and strengthened by a dense network of aerospace and adjacent technology companies, the region offers:
Deep legacy engineering expertise
Proximity to policymakers and regulators
Civil, national security, and commercial space activity in one place
Cross-pollination between seasoned engineers and early-career innovators
That cluster effect accelerates iteration, knowledge transfer, and collaboration.
Why Maryland Matters
Across the discussion, one conclusion emerged clearly: Maryland — and the broader DMV — offers a uniquely integrated space ecosystem.
Unlike other hubs that specialize in launch, human spaceflight, or purely commercial activity, Maryland combines civil space leadership, national security capabilities, startup innovation, research institutions, and policy proximity within one tightly connected region.
The new space economy is not about spectacle. It is about building the infrastructure that allows new industries — in-space manufacturing, logistics, mobility, research, and security — to scale sustainably.
The rockets may capture imagination.
But infrastructure is what makes the future real.
