Can I suggest to just start - there are going to be a gazillion suppliers to SpaceX etc - if you want to be in the industry, you can be in.
If you want to put your stuff in space or even orbit, may I suggest looking at micro satellites - there is going to be a vast number of things people will want doing that are going to be within the capability of a large lump of silicon. And the big boys will happily take a dozen iphone equivalents and put them in LEO in passing.
That to me is the growth area
Edit: sorry seemed a bit off dumped the hobbyist reference - just thinking of the issues of orbital speed - until / if orbital speed is achievable for an cluster of iPhones dangling from a weather ballon, then everything depends on huge great rockets. And SpaceX and it's ilk, for all the impact, is only expecting to see a halving of launch costs. It is going to remain a big government big industry game for a very very long time.
I like this advice. I worked with someone who built an aerospace company around an ultra-reliable actuator design he developed with a friend. They had put hardware on dozens of missions, including some inter-planetary missions, before they were acquired a few years later.
A lot of the advice he gave me centered around understanding how supplier contracts are granted / won, and the importance of building relationships and a reputation in the industry. The biggest thing that stuck with me, though, was that it was even possible for a startup company to put hardware in space, let alone mission-critical stuff.
So, I second the "just start" suggestion. Maybe I'll take the same advice myself some day.
Agreed, I should just start. Next year, I'm going to attend a few conferences, just to learn more about the industry, chat with people etc.
The cost do need to dramatically drop, for say, large scale mining operations to happen.
I think we'll ultimately need a space elevator or something extreme. Maybe that's possible with LOTS of advances in carbon nanotube tech... If so, I think several governments could be persuaded to put up funding in the future. Just like we did with the International Space Station.
If you want to put your stuff in space or even orbit, may I suggest looking at micro satellites - there is going to be a vast number of things people will want doing that are going to be within the capability of a large lump of silicon. And the big boys will happily take a dozen iphone equivalents and put them in LEO in passing.
That to me is the growth area
Edit: sorry seemed a bit off dumped the hobbyist reference - just thinking of the issues of orbital speed - until / if orbital speed is achievable for an cluster of iPhones dangling from a weather ballon, then everything depends on huge great rockets. And SpaceX and it's ilk, for all the impact, is only expecting to see a halving of launch costs. It is going to remain a big government big industry game for a very very long time.