Measuring the Space Economy with Input-Output Linkages

Space-enabled technologies underpin communications, navigation, Earth observation, and critical infrastructure, but widely cited estimates of the space economy often rely on proprietary classifications or revenue tallies that abstract from production linkages. We develop a transparent, national-accounts framework to measure the U.S. footprint of a conservative set of core space industries using input-output total requirements tables with real gross output and value added by industry. The framework decomposes activity into direct core output and indirect spillovers through upstream suppliers and downstream users, and it produces measures of exposure and supplier concentration. Indirect activity exceeds direct activity in every benchmark year and grows faster over time: direct core output rises from just under $60B in 2007 to $75-80B by 2017, while the associated indirect component increases from about $80-85B to roughly $120-125B, implying an indirect to direct ratio near 1.6 by 2017. In projections to 2030 using an input-output consistent protocol with scenario wedges and Monte Carlo uncertainty bands, the baseline total footprint reaches about $350B.