When I moved to Florida, I was looking forward to warm winters, plenty of beach time and zero state income tax.

What I wasn’t thinking about was Florida’s monumental contributions to space exploration.

That’s why I was briefly convinced Earth was being attacked by aliens.

Shortly after I moved here, I was driving up the turnpike when I saw a glowing arc of light slicing across the sky.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

It was moving slowly at first, just hovering there. It was way too big to be a plane.

For a moment, I went into full panic mode. Was this some kind of stealth bomber? A Russian missile? Could this be the start of an alien invasion?

Then my logical brain kicked in, and I realized what I was looking at: a SpaceX rocket.

It was just one of hundreds of rockets that have been launched in recent years from right here on the Florida coast.

As scary as that moment was for me, it shows you how much space exploration has changed in the past decades.

Just a few decades ago, space was controlled by governments.

It cost over a billion dollars to send anything into orbit. That meant launches were infrequent, tightly controlled and usually tied to military or national prestige.

But today that’s no longer the case.

Private companies are launching rockets at a pace that would’ve seemed impossible even ten years ago.

In fact, SpaceX launched 138 rockets last year alone. That means there are tourists and Florida newbies like me running for cover almost every other day.

It also means that — in a single year — SpaceX accomplished more space launches than any government space agency in history.

But it’s not just the volume of launches that’s so exciting.

The rockets being sent into space today are cheaper, faster, and in many cases, reusable. And that’s a game-changer for economics and scale.

The cost to send one kilogram to orbit has dropped from about $20,000 in the early 2000s to under $1,500 today.

That’s a 93% decline, and it’s still falling. According to Citigroup, launch costs could drop as low as $33 per kilogram by 2040.

And as these launches keep becoming more affordable, it’s unlocking an entirely new economy.

Right now, satellites are transforming how we live and work.

Farmers use satellite data to monitor soil health, predict rainfall and maximize yields.

Emergency responders track wildfires and natural disasters in real time from space.

Logistics companies are optimizing delivery routes using satellite-powered AI models.

Even financial analysts are tapping into satellite imagery to forecast retail earnings by counting how many cars are parked outside of stores.

In other words, the space economy isn’t coming. It’s already here.

Even if most people don’t realize it yet.

And the best part? It’s just getting started.

We’ve talked about how Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” project could pump billions into the space economy.

The U.S. Space Force is already asking for $30 billion in funding next year to secure critical assets like communication, GPS and early-warning systems in orbit.

Source: Official United States Space Force Website

Meanwhile, NASA is preparing for its first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years.

But they’re not doing it alone…

They’ve reached out to SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin to help build the landers, rovers and cargo systems that will get us there.

These agencies’ willingness to engage with the private sector proves we’ve entered a new phase of space exploration.

The government is no longer the sole player. It’s a deep-pocketed customer in a competitive market.

And just like the early days of the internet, this competition is fueling a wave of entrepreneurship.

Space Capital reported that over $9 billion was invested into startup space ventures in 2024 alone, despite a high-interest-rate environment.

Why?

Because the people closest to the action can see what’s coming.

Look, it’s understandable if you watched Bezos’s recent stunt launch with Katy Perry and concluded that space is just a playground for billionaires, not a place for everyday investors.

But then you’d be missing out on a massive opportunity…

Space exploration acts as a catalyst for technological advancement.

Many technologies developed for space missions have found widespread use on Earth, improving daily life and advancing industries.

Some examples include GPS, water purification systems, advanced robotics, medical imaging, and even cancer therapy techniques.

Research conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) has even led to breakthroughs in health care, such as new methods for drug delivery and remote medical diagnostics.

But these innovations do more than just enhance our quality of life. They create investment opportunities.

That’s why I’m watching this space (pun intended) more closely than almost any other right now.

Because I’ve identified one device in particular — built on the back of this satellite infrastructure — that could soon become as common as the smartphone in your pocket.

It doesn’t fly. It doesn’t launch. But it wouldn’t exist without the space economy accelerating in the background.

And there is huge money — $3 trillion — at stake with this new technology.

The man behind it?

The same person who built Tesla and SpaceX from the ground up.

Of course, I’m talking about Elon Musk.

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