The Trillion-Dollar Space Economy Is Just Getting Started | Melissa Quinn on Space & Innovation

What happens when space becomes the next great economic frontier?

On this episode of Tomorrow: The Future Forum Podcast, Oli Barrett MBE and Victoria Usher are joined by Melissa Quinn, Senior Director at MDA Space, to explore the rapidly emerging orbital economy — and the huge opportunities and challenges that come with it.

Melissa has helped build spaceports in both Cornwall and Nova Scotia, giving her a unique perspective on how the space industry is evolving from a specialist sector into critical global infrastructure. She explains why she believes we are only seeing the beginning of a potentially trillion-dollar space economy, from orbital manufacturing and data centres to satellites and new ways of connecting people around the world.

But the opportunity comes with serious questions. Who owns what in space? How do we regulate launches? Could space become the next war zone? And how do we make sure humanity doesn’t damage the very environment we’re only beginning to understand?

Melissa also shares lessons from building Spaceport Cornwall, including how she navigated opposition from environmental campaigners and worked with local communities and First Nations to build trust and social licence.

She also reflects on leadership, leaving her comfort zone, working with experts and why “kindness is a strength” as we build the next chapter of human civilisation in space.

Melissa Quinn

Melissa Quinn is a space industry executive focused on building infrastructure that enables access to space. She is the Senior Director at MDA Space, currently seconded to Maritime Launch Services as Vice President of Spaceport Operations, where she is leading the operational development of Spaceport Nova Scotia, Canada’s first commercial orbital launch site.

Melissa previously served as Head of Spaceport Cornwall in the UK, where she developed the infrastructure, secured the UK’s first spaceflight license and led the country’s first orbital launch with Virgin Orbit. During her time at Slingshot Aerospace, she helped scale the global Space Domain Awareness business, supporting governments and operators to better understand and manage risk in space. Today her work sits at the intersection of launch infrastructure, national space capability, and the wider space economy.

A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Melissa holds a MSc in Economics from London School of Economics. She is a frequent international speaker and media commentator, featuring in New York Times, BBC and National Geographic.