Investing in Space

Dear Outsider,

In my last year of grad school, I started getting really into space stuff, but not in a sci-fi kinda way.

I was reading a lot about a fairly new term at the time that kept cropping up, the “digital divide.”

If you’re not familiar, the digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technologies — such as the internet, computers, smartphones, and other digital devices — and those who do not. It creates a seemingly insurmountable disparity that affects individuals, communities, and entire countries.

There are a number of factors that cause this phenomenon, including economic disparities, lack of infrastructure and resources, inadequate education and training, language barriers, social factors, etc.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, as of 2021, it was estimated that about 2.9 billion people around the world do not have access to the internet. This number represents roughly 37% of the global population. The digital divide is most pronounced in developing countries, where access to the internet and digital technologies remains limited due to infrastructure, cost, and lack of education and awareness. In the U.S., rural and impoverished communities have the least access.

Closing the digital divide and ensuring universal access to the internet is an important goal for global development, as it can promote economic growth, social inclusion, and greater participation in the digital economy.

It fascinates me when humans become accustomed to some piece of technology and then take it for granted, which is exactly what has happened with the internet and cellphones, in particular. Imagine for a moment that you couldn’t just easily pull out your phone and search for the nearest coffee shop or the fastest route to the state park or whether you can feed blueberries to your dog.

People who can’t access the internet are at a severe disadvantage in this modern era. Sure, some people don’t want it, nor do they need it, but the resources available online could easily help people get access to information, education, jobs, and healthcare services. Not to mention, the consequences of the digital divide are far-reaching and can lead to increased inequality, social exclusion, and economic disadvantages. I think most people are in agreement that closing the gap would generally be a good thing for the world and should be a goal for us as a civilization.

So it’s fascinating watching companies create novel ways of closing the gap. And the best way to do it right now is through satellites. Now, there are some important actors on this space stage. We’ve got NASA, Amazon, Elon Musk, and... dun, dun, dun, dunnnn... the Space Force. We can’t forget about other hostile countries in space as well, but more on that in a minute.

Of the digital divide, NASA recently wrote, “Digital inequality or inadequate internet access is a socioeconomic concern across the United States, and the pandemic has worsened the divide. In Cleveland, home of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, a study by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance found that about 31% of the city’s households have no broadband access.”

As for Amazon, its Project Kuiper has the goal of releasing a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit that will deliver fast, affordable, and reliable broadband internet to hard-to-reach areas. On its website, the company writes, “Hundreds of millions of people on Earth lack reliable internet access. Project Kuiper will help close the digital divide by delivering fast, affordable broadband to a wide range of customers, including consumers, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in places without reliable connectivity.”

Elon Musk’s space exploration company, SpaceX, launched Starlink just a few years ago. It’s another company sending a cluster of satellites into the atmosphere with the goal of delivering internet to the entire globe. Musk also said he wants to explore the moon and Mars, but that goal may be further out now that the company's flagship Starship rocket exploded just moments after launch last week.

The look on Musk’s face says it all...

It was at this moment he knew he f-ed up...

Now it's time to bring in the space hall monitor.

We need the Space Force.

Space Force chief Gen. Saltzman sat down with CNBC to talk about space threats. He said, “The threats we face to our on-orbit capabilities from our strategic competitors [have] grown substantially... We’re seeing satellites that actually can grab another satellite, grapple with it, and pull it out of its operational orbit. These are all capabilities they’re demonstrating in-orbit today, and so the mix of these weapons and the pace with which they’ve been developing are very concerning."

Very concerning, indeed.

We've already seen the atmospheric battlefield playing out in real time.

The Wall Street Journal just reported that Russia's testing a secretive weapon aimed at bringing down Starlink in Ukraine.

We all saw the Chinese spy balloon, too.

Get this: We now know that the balloon carried unknown surveillance technology, and it was hovering over the U.S. for ONE WHOLE WEEK before Biden shot it down.

Will we ever know what intel it captured?

This highlights the urgent need for investment in cutting-edge defense technology — particularly in the area of hypersonic missiles.

In fact, China is yet again ahead of the curve, as it just tested a hypersonic missile so deadly that it can strike targets over 1,000 miles away...

And as it stands, we have zero protection against it...

Except for ONE defense firm and its revolutionary tech.

My colleague and defense expert Jason Simpkins says these hypersonic missiles are the future of military technology.

And it could make tuned-in investors incredibly wealthy.

Click here like your life depends on it, because it very well could...

Stay frosty,

Alexander Boulden
Editor, Outsider Club

After Alexander’s passion for economics and investing drew him to one of the largest financial publishers in the world, where he rubbed elbows with former Chicago Board Options Exchange floor traders, Wall Street hedge fund managers, and International Monetary Fund analysts, he decided to take up the pen and guide others through this new age of investing. Check out his editor's page here.

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