Things are really heating up in the commercial space economy.

We noticed last year that several companies were providing the underlying infrastructure that could allow private businesses to set up shop in outer space. Favorable developments like declining launch costs and the miniaturization of satellite components were driving the number of satellites seeking launch approval to increase by an order of magnitude. And thanks to a flood of interest in Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs...which actually necessarily aren't all related to "SPACE"), publicly-traded options emerged for investors that included Rocket Lab (Nasdaq: RKLB), Astra Space (Nasdaq: ASTR), and Virgin Galactic (Nasdaq: SPCE).

Yet quite a lot has also changed in the world during just these past six months. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted governments to double-down on their space-based military operations, especially for satellite surveillance. Out-of-control inflation has driven the Federal Reserve to aggressively raise interest rates, making it more difficult for capital-intensive businesses who conduct space-based operations to raise funding. And the fascination of space from billionaire entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Jeff Bezos has led Space-X's Falcon Heavy, Virgin Galactic'sSpaceShip, and Amazon's (Nasdaq: AMZN) Project Kuiper to transform what was once science fiction into commercial realities.

What will all of this mean for investors? Are escalating international conflicts re-invigorating the militarization of space? Will rising rates make it harder to compete against the best-capitalized leaders? Is it better to invest in the down-to-Earth legacy players...or is it worth taking a flyer on a few pure-play moonshots?

To help us answer those questions, we’ve brought in two experts who are actively investing in outer space. Andrew Chanin is the CEO and co-founder of Procure AM and Micah Walter-Range is the President of Caelus Partners. Together, they've created America’s first Space-themed ETF that trades with the ticker “UFO.”

In an exclusive interview with 7investing CEO Simon Erickson, Andrew and Micah describe why the space economy is taking off. They describe how Russia's war with Ukraine is increasing the demand for real-time satellite imagery and is also causing businesses to seek launch providers who are not based in Russia. They compare Rocket Lab democratized approach to launch to Space X's ridesharing capabilities, and also explain why 'space tourism' might actually be less relevant than 'space-based research.'

In the final segment, Micah and Andrew describe the methodical framework they've constructed for the SPACE Index and how some of their thinking has changed in 2022. The also reveal some of the most important unmet challenges facing space-based companies and several companies that should be on investors' radar.

Publicly-traded companies mentioned in this interview include Airbus, Amazon, Arqit Quantum, Astra, BlackSky Technology, Boeing, Mynaric, RedWire, Rocket Lab, and Virgin Galactic. 7investing’s advisors or its guests may have positions in the companies mentioned.