Three Emerging Trends in the Space Industry – Visual Capitalist

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The following content is sponsored by MSCI

Over the past several decades, space and satellite technology has become the invisible foundation of our digital world. 1,700 active satellites are currently orbiting the Earth, and together, they enable many of the technologies we use on a daily basis.
Looking forward, this industry is on the cusp of a significant ramp-up. Recent technological breakthroughs have drastically reduced the cost of rocket launches, and by 2030, analysts expect the number of active satellites to increase by several magnitudes.
Greater satellite coverage is significant because it could unlock futuristic solutions like drone deliveries, or bring internet access to the world’s underserved. To help you learn more, this infographic from MSCI provides an overview of the entire space opportunity.
The space industry is a broad opportunity set which can be divided into three segments.
This segment includes reusable launch systems, hypersonic travel, and satellite connectivity. Rocket reusability has the greatest potential because it could greatly lower the cost of launches going forward.
This table lists rocket launch costs in terms of USD/kg.
*Joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Source: ARK Investment Management (2021)
Rocket reusability can significantly drive down costs and allow companies to cost-effectively launch thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). LEO refers to an altitude of 100 to 1,200 miles, as opposed to geostationary orbit (GEO) which has an altitude of roughly 22,000 miles.
The primary benefit of LEO satellites is that they have a much lower latency (delay measured in milliseconds) as opposed to GEO satellites. The drawback of LEO is that each satellite covers a much smaller area of the Earth, though as stated above, the ability to launch many satellites at relatively low cost negates this problem.
This segment includes sectors that support space exploration, including unmanned aerial vehicles and astrionics (electronics used in spacecraft).
An important technology within this sector is 3D printing, which is a form of additive manufacturing that builds objects layer-by-layer. While still a relatively new technology, the use of 3D printing within the space industry is growing.
This table lists the number of 3D printed parts that are found in one aircraft engine.
Source: ARK Investment Management (2021)
Increasing activities in space are likely to create downstream benefits for the 3D printing industry. Analysts believe the industry could be worth $120 billion in 2030, up from $15 billion in 2020.
This final segment includes urban air mobility, satellite imaging, and satellite communication. Decreasing rocket launch costs will be a significant catalyst for these sectors.
One area of focus is autonomous drones, which would rely heavily on satellite GPS. These drones could unlock value for ecommerce businesses by reducing the cost of deliveries.
*Most bike couriers do not travel more than 10 miles. This estimate is for a 10 mile delivery.
Source: ARK Investment Management (2021)
The potential cost savings from drone deliveries would benefit businesses, by way of larger margins, as well as consumers, through better convenience.
The MSCI Space Exploration Index was developed in collaboration with ARK Invest, and aims to represent the performance of companies associated with the developments in spaceflight, satellite communications, and urban air mobility.
Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.
Source: MSCI
A monolithic and bureaucratic industry is being upended by falling rocket and satellite costs. Embrace this new frontier with MSCI’s first ever space-themed index.
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2020 plant-based alternatives sales surpassed $7 billion in the U.S. alone. How did this explosion in plant-based alternatives start?
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From plant-based Chick’n Tenders to dairy-free Mylk, consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to alternatives products on the market.
With an explosion of new options hitting shelves at lightning speed and consumers growing more knowledgeable of plant-based diets, a shift towards eating less meat is being felt across the globe. But how did this movement come to be?
The infographic above from Billy Goat Brands (CSE: GOAT) (“GOAT”) maps out the most notable milestones in the last two decades that have contributed to the evolution of this growing market. Let’s dive in.
Although it may feel like we are undergoing a massive transformation when it comes to alternatives, vegetarianism is nothing new. In fact, meat alternatives like tofu have been around since as early as 200 BCE.
Since then, many cultures have made plants a staple in their diet and as of 2021, there was an estimated 79 million people in the world who eat strictly plant-based.
In the table below, we break down the milestones of note that contributed to the growing plant-based market over the last 20 years:
Despite disruptions in the supply chain, 2020 proved to be a pivotal year for alternatives products moving into the mainstream with more people realizing the many benefits that come with a plant-based lifestyle.
U.S. retail sales in 2020 shot up by a whopping 27% as a result, reaching $7 billion according to the Good Food Institute.
Plant-based alternatives can provide the same, if not more nutrients and protein as meat and dairy products. In fact, there is a long list of reasons why you should eat plant-based, as many alternatives on the market have proven to:
On top of the health benefits, plant-based alternatives have also been shown to be a better option for the planet:
Ultimately, the reasons for reaching for healthy alternatives far outweigh the benefits of eating conventional meat products.
GOAT is a unique platform that gives investors access to a diverse selection of health-conscious, sustainability-focused and ESG-driven companies in the alternatives space including The Vegetarian Butcher.
As Canada’s one-stop shop for high quality plant-based alternatives, The Vegetarian Butcher has recently announced its ambitious plan to open a third brick and mortar store after just five years in business.
Will you invest in the future of food?
Learn more about GOAT by clicking this link.
Every year, 12 million tons of used asphalt shingles are dumped into landfills across North America. This graphic by Northstar Clean Technologies shows how recovering this material has become a multi-billion-dollar industry opportunity.
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In a world that generates 2 billion tonnes of waste every year, landfill management has become a global concern.
Reusing, remanufacturing, and recycling materials have become essential in minimizing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The above infographic from Northstar Clean Technologies highlights how waste management has become a multibillion-dollar industry opportunity.
The world produces enough solid waste to fill over 800,000 Olympic sized swimming pools every year. Waste generated per person averages 0.74 kilograms per day.
Below, we show the regions that generate the most waste, measured in millions of tonnes. Asia, Europe, and North America are the top waste generators, respectively.
The U.S. ranks number one in per-capita waste by country, producing 12% of the world’s trash despite only accounting for 4% of its population.
On average, a U.S. resident produces over three times as much waste as a Chinese resident and seven times more than a person living in Ethiopia.
Approximately half of the 230 million tonnes of yearly waste in the U.S. will meet its final resting place in one of the more than 2,000 active landfills across the country. That’s the equivalent to 22 billion plastic bottles every year, or enough office paper to construct a 12-foot-high wall from Los Angeles to Manhattan.
With solid waste steadily climbing over the last decades, many landfills across the country are already running out of space.
A big part of landfill waste comes from the construction industry.
In a 2018 research, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that total waste from construction-related projects was double that of municipal waste from households and businesses.
Putting this into perspective, 12 million tons of used asphalt shingles are dumped into landfills across North America every year, equivalent to ∼100 million plastic bags.
As a result, solid waste landfills are already the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S., behind energy production and agriculture.

*Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding
In this context, repurposing waste has not only become essential to minimizing waste, but also to creating new business opportunities going forward.
The global waste recycling market is expected to grow considerably in the coming years as awareness about environmental impacts increases.
By 2027, it is forecast that the global waste recycling services market will have reached a value of $80.3 billion.
Northstar Clean Technologies aims to become the leading recovery and reprocessing company for asphalt shingles in North America.
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