Deloitte puts the lunar economy at up to $566 billion by 2050—and SpaceX is speeding the timeline

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described plans to build factories on the moon as he presided over the now public rocket maker’s first earnings call this month. Even Musk admitted it all sounded “totally nuts.” But while Musk’s rhetoric and his timing estimates often don’t line up with reality, he’s not alone in seeing opportunity on the moon. Now, a new report is offering a look at the financial underpinnings of what could become a vast $566 billion lunar economy, and the ripple effects that could double it to more than $1.1 trillion.

The new report by advisory firm Deloitte and shared with Fortune in advance of its Wednesday release, estimates the budding moon-based economy could generate between $343 billion and $566 billion in upside through 2050. The range represents a conservative- to accelerated-growth scenario based on how quickly infrastructure, energy, and transportation services can...