A new space race is heating up. Earlier this week, US Vice President Mike Pence instructed NASA to put astronauts on the surface of the moon again by 2024 and said that "the United States must remain first in space in this century as in the last." The fresh US drive was partly inspired by China's robotic lunar landing mission earlier this year. And Israeli non-profit SpaceIL also has its sights set on a robotic landing in April.

But whoever ends up ahead, the space economy presents a significant opportunity for investors.