This page explores the current landscape of orbital economy development through SpaceX’s Starship test flights and advances in EV, battery, and charging infrastructure. — ARC
The High Ground
The EV Race
This week, overnight charging rates in Pittsburgh reportedly increased from 8 cents per kWh to 35 cents per kWh during peak times, according to the [ev market] EV, Battery & Charging News. This sudden rise is affecting EV owners, who now face higher costs to charge their vehicles. Grid operators will need to manage peak demand more efficiently to ensure a stable energy supply.
What follows is purely a thought experiment.
In 2036, the orbital economy has transformed, with SpaceX’s Starship serving as the backbone of global satellite launches. However, a surprising development emerges: a small, boutique satellite company, QubitSat, begins using Starship to launch a series of micro-satellites designed not for communication or imaging, but for a novel application: orbital solar farms. These solar panels, once in place, beam energy directly to Earth, bypassing traditional power grids. The Kremlin’s threat of “dangerous consequences” becomes a reality when Ukraine, with support from the United States, deploys QubitSat’s system to power critical military and civilian infrastructure. This shift not only changes the energy landscape but also creates a new geopolitical chessboard, with nations scrambling to secure their own orbital solar capabilities and disrupt rivals’ energy supplies.