Public goods and the evaluation of complex outcomes in space economy

This paper proposes a fusion of two economic paradigms, the economic goods framework and the Total Economic Value (TEV), to structure the evaluation of complex space programs. It illustrates the dynamic relationship between different types of economic goods, including the institutional integration of manufactured private goods into public goods. Drawing on methodologies from environmental economics, particularly categories such as option and existence values, the approach addresses less obvious outcomes of space activities that nonetheless significantly shape public perceptions and judgments of program effectiveness. Current institutional developments in space activities demonstrate the relevance of economic goods and value epistemology as a framework for understanding and designing space policy.