Catalysing African Space Value Chains, STEM and Tourism: What’s the ‘Common Cause’?

In addition to serving as significant catalysts for a local commercial space industry across the entire value chain, spaceports can be leveraged by policymakers or investment promotion agencies to supplement sustainable, regionalised tourism growth strategies that contribute to long-term development outcomes.

The significant potential social, technological and economic development outcomes and impacts that are attainable through the enablement of safe, viable and commercial spaceport developments are well traversed, but another important and often overlooked impact area to consider is that of space tourism (aka the ‘Launch Safari’).

A 2023 paper published in Tourism Planning & Development, an international, ranked, peer-reviewed journal, expands on the concept of terrestrial space tourism. The authors analyse the impact of “spaceports, space museums, space hotels, and much more” at several locations globally. The paper explores the new category of space tourism, arguing that it has the potential to redefine the travel industry, while growing local economies and expanding regional systems of innovation.

"In a terrestrial space tourism destination, the presence of a commercial spaceport is pivotal. Described as “a launch facility whose main target market is commercial vehicle operators, and whose primary mission is to generate revenue by offering competitive, responsive, and efficient launch services with minimal bureaucratic and regulatory burden” ..., the spaceport serves as a front door to space, acting as a catalyst to stimulate space-related economic activities ... Sophisticated ecosystems usually develop around spaceports, with industrial and aerospace companies specialized in products and services for take-off, launch, maintenance, and assembly activities." - Presenza et al, 2023

Through primary interviews, the authors assess several critical factors impacting the success of a spaceport and its associated space-tourism sector. These factors include safety, local support, ease of access, and, importantly, proximity to a well-functioning space value chain. The authors note the well-established empirical history of space companies being prime producers of “innovation that can cross-fertilise the whole value chain, as well as spill over into other industries and technology enablers”.

One recent case example of an organised, public-friendly engagement approach evaluated is that of the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in China, which launched the Wenchang Yaoguang Rocket Viewing Platform in May 2025. Similar to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the launch site in Hainan Province offers viewing areas that are open to the public, STEM exhibits, cultural displays, space-themed shops, and activities to promote aerospace awareness and support local growth.

Map: Terrestrial Space Tourism Destination

The following figure from the article serves to demonstrate the linkages or interdependencies – as well as the conditioning factors – that determine the relationship between a successful Space Industry Local Ecosystem and a Space Tourism Ecosystem. The map elucidates the common cause and policy lever available to bridge these realms: The Spaceport.

Map of the "Space Industry Macro-Level Ecosystem” (Presenza et al; 2023)

Spaceports can serve as pivotal hubs, unique in their ability to not only boost African space value chains, drive R&D and STEM education, but also hold the potential to stimulate sustainable tourism growth. Spaceports are commercial gateways to space, where public-facing centres of innovation, community engagement, technology transfer and space tourism intersect.

The authors and the expert interviews also identify several gaps in the literature, suggesting novel or challenging questions related to spaceport development that can be tackled by future researchers.

Read the full paper: link.

About Mura Space

• Mura Space is a privately funded and independent South African company, focused on commercial investments, partnerships, and infrastructure projects within the aerospace and space launch or launch-enabled value chain.

• Mura is engaged in a technical feasibility study and market due diligence for the Mura Spaceport™ concept, which would be a privately funded, multi-user commercial spaceport designed to leverage southern Africa’s favourable geography for leading international small and medium orbital launchers.