Watch This Space: Technology, Mining Innovation And Emerging Legal Risks

With the commercial sector accounting for approximately 78% of the global space economy in 2024, and the global space economy being projected to grow from approximately US$630 billion in 2023 to around US$1.8 trillion by 2035 according to McKinsey, interest in space continues to expand beyond an industry that was once characterised by state-led exploration.

Its implications now extend well beyond the aerospace industry, influencing sectors such as telecommunications, logistics, data analytics, climate resilience, and other critical infrastructure technologies.

Mining is one of the sectors being most profoundly transformed by the global space economy. Space technologies (spanning from satellite connectivity, Earth observation, AI-driven data analysis, and satellite navigation) are now embedded across the full lifecycle of mining operations, from initial exploration through to site closure and restoration.