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Interplanetary economics: it’s time to run the numbers

Interplanetary Economics

The “Space” space is hotter than ever, with money burning a hole in the pockets of private and public sector spenders. In Fiscal Year 2017, NASA had a budget of $20 billion. In the same year, $4 billion was spent in the private sector by way of Venture Capital and Private Equity. State Street has now created the first exchange-traded fund that invests in outer space, beating at least two rivals to launch. This talk from space economist Sinéad O’Sullivan focuses on the most talked about and fearless project in the New Space Race — asteroid mining — which has promised to provide investors with million percent returns and to create the world’s first trillionaire.

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