The New Space Ecosystem: Insights from the Architecture of Digital Platforms

Abstract

Originally confined to the governmental sector, the space ecosystem has recently undergone a transformative shift with the private sector’s penetration redefining the established dynamics. Concurrently, the advent of digitalization and the influence of the capitalist mindset have contributed to a further reshaping of the space ecosystem. This convergence of forces signaled the dawn of the “New Space” era, prompting architectural modifications across the entire ecosystem. However, a comprehensive understanding of the architecture of the New Space Ecosystem remains elusive. Therefore, our primary objective is to conduct a systematic review to unveil and elucidate the architectural intricacies of the New Space Ecosystem. In our investigation, we have identified remarkable parallels between the architecture of the digital platform ecosystem and that of the New Space. Consequently, we posit that leveraging the existing literature on digital platform ecosystems may serve as a valuable bedrock for unraveling the complexities inherent in the New Space Ecosystem. Accordingly, our study makes three substantial contributions: (1) identifying the key dynamics that have shaped the architecture of the New Space Ecosystem, (2) delineating the distinct layers composing the New Space Ecosystem, and (3) proposing a prospective research agenda derived from the parallels drawn with the digital platform ecosystem.