Space industry annual revenues total $350B, with projections that the sector will expand to $3T per year over the next 30 years . Previously the domain of government agencies and large federally-funded research and defense contractors, space technology is being rapidly privatized. Private space funding is expected to exceed government programs, with a rapid increase in venture capital investments . The surging demand for data has placed a premium on the acquisition of big data sets from orbit. Technology miniaturization has ushered in a new set of spacecraft and launch vehicle developers and operators, spanning universities, small business startups, and internet technology companies. Space tourism is expected to take hold within the 2020s, with longer-term suborbital point-to-point transportation for business travel. NASA’s Artemis program to return to the Moon by 2024, leading to a sustained human presence on the lunar surface by 2028, opens a new era of space exploration and development.

Vision Statement

The Purdue Engineering Initiative in Cislunar Space (Cislunar Initiative) will envision and enable the collaborative utilization of cislunar space to extend humanity’s reach throughout the solar system.

Mission Statement

Cislunar Initiative will provide national leadership in the development of cislunar space. Through a process of exploration and discovery, Cislunar Initiative will expand access to space, identify and utilize space resources, advance the development of space policy, and grow the cislunar economy.