A close-up view of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket vertical with the Crew Dragon atop for the Crew-3 mission at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida during sunrise on Oct. 28, 2021. Also in view is the crew access arm.

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner crew ship approaches the International Space Station on the company's Orbital Flight Test-2 mission before automatically docking to the Harmony module's forward port.

Cygnus space freighter in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm

The Low Earth Orbit Economy

The low Earth orbit economy is a new and growing market of private companies providing access to, and services in, space. Customers include NASA, other government agencies, academic and research-based institutions, and other private companies.

Low Earth Orbit Economy

Location

Low Earth orbit is 1,200 miles or less above Earth’s atmosphere.

Did you know?

51 humans have flown on commercial vehicles to low Earth orbit.

DID YOU KNOW?

2020 was the year of the first crewed flight on a commercial vehicle to the space station.

in the future

NASA is currently funding three companies to develop commercial space stations.

About

What is the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Economy?

One of NASA's strategic goals is to “develop a human spaceflight economy enabled by a commercial market.”

Commercial Low Earth Orbit Economy

The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship approaches the space station

July 16, 2022 – The SpaceX Dragon resupply ship carrying over 5,800 pounds of new science experiments and crew supplies, pictured from a window on the SpaceX Dragon Freedom crew ship, approaches the International Space Station above the south Atlantic Ocean.

Ride to the Moon?

Human Landing Systems

Bringing astronauts from orbit around the Moon onto lunar soil

NASA’s commercial providers, Blue Origin and SpaceX, are building the human landing systems that will carry Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface and back to lunar orbit for their ride home to Earth aboard Orion.

Commercial Human Landers

Side-by-side illustrations of the SpaceX Starship lunar lander and the Blue Origin Blue Moon lunar lander.

SpaceX/Blue Origin

Featured Story

How NASA’s Work Led to Commercial Spaceflight Revolution

For more than 60 years, NASA has pushed the boundaries of human exploration for the benefit of all, and now…

Read the Story

FAQs

Commercial Space Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do you have questions? We have answers!

Learn more about low Earth orbit, legal, private astronaut missions, and commercial low Earth orbit partnerships through answers to a variety of frequently asked questions.

View FAQs

A view of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter with the Earth’s atmospheric golden glow in the foreground at night was taken from the space station.

NASA

Artist rendition of a vehicle in space using propulsion.

Illustration of NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) on the surface of the Moon

The Lunar Economy

NASA is leading Artemis, humanity’s return to the Moon. With international partners and U.S. industry providers, the future at the Moon holds promise for a robust lunar marketplace.

Lunar Economy

Location

Earth’s Moon

Formed

4.5 billion years ago

DISTANCE

250,000 miles from Earth

About

Commercial Lunar Payload Services

NASA is working with several American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.

These companies, ranging in size, bid on delivering payloads for NASA. This includes everything from payload integration and operations, to launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon. Under Artemis, commercial deliveries beginning in 2023 will perform science experiments, test technologies, and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon as it prepares for human missions.

Commercial Lunar Payload Services