Damn I hated to see the obit!

Ok Space Cadets!
Maybe (just maybe) it's time to take the non profit obit and turn it
into!

The Space Studies Institute is a for profit educational and research
organization. Founded in 1977 by Dr. Gerard O'Neill, Princeton
University professor and author of The High Frontier, SSI sponsors
and conducts research into areas such as solar power satellites,
lunar bases, space settlements, asteroid mining, and mass drivers.

IMHO The cadavar of SSI needs to jump into bed with the military
industrial complex! Lets face it that's where the MONEY IS!

I also think SSI should jump onboard the space elevator bandwagon!
I know I'm a traitor to pure science, but I'm also a realist!
Sorry Gerard hope your not twirling in the ground!

Comments:

"Maybe (just maybe) it's time to take the non profit obit and turn it
into!...IMHO The cadavar of SSI needs to jump into bed with the military
industrial complex! Lets face it that's where the MONEY IS!" I can see moving whatever of SSI that can be salvaged over to a for-profit operation, but I'm not sure the conjoined twins of gov't bureaucracy (NASA, the Pentagon, etc.) and corporate bureaucracy (Boeing, LockMart, etc.) in the MIC would be a good thing. Hooking up with true *private sector*entrepreneurs (too many examples to name, but ya'all know `the usual suspects' ) might let SSI continue to exist, as a `public information' outlet, a source for general R&D, and/or a group that can focus public opinion, when dealing with the afore-mentioned `conjoined twins'. Another alternative would be to ("just maybe") keep what SSI has in the not-for-profit arena, by merging it with the Space Frontier Foundation.

"Sorry Gerard hope your not twirling in the ground!"

Considering the way O'Neillcreated Geostar (the original GPS company) to help fund SSI, I rather doubt it. If I believed in such things, I'd suggest he'd bemore likely to smile and nod than to `twirl'. ;) Dave

> Damn I hated to see the obit!
>
> Ok Space Cadets!
> Maybe (just maybe) it's time to take the non profit obit and turn it
> into!
>
> The Space Studies Institute is a for profit educational and research
> organization. Founded in 1977 by Dr. Gerard O'Neill, Princeton
> University professor and author of The High Frontier, SSI sponsors
> and conducts research into areas such as solar power satellites,
> lunar bases, space settlements, asteroid mining, and mass drivers.
>
> IMHO The cadavar of SSI needs to jump into bed with the military
> industrial complex! Lets face it that's where the MONEY IS!

Some of it. There's a good deal more in other sectors of the economy.

> I also think SSI should jump onboard the space elevator bandwagon!
> I know I'm a traitor to pure science, but I'm also a realist!
> Sorry Gerard hope your not twirling in the ground!

I doubt O'Neill would be appalled at MIC involvement per se. We might
forget but he was in the Navy in WWII. He also had friendly relations
with quite a few people in major aerospace companies while he was also
pushing colonies and SSI. O'Neill was hardly hostile to things not of
pure science. The whole space colony thing was not pure science. In
fact, it wasn't even close to pure science.

Best,

Chuck Divine

>
> Damn I hated to see the obit!
>

Which obit would that be ?

SSI exists until it has been dissolved.

As far as I can determine, SSI has not been dissolved, but I do not
have access to official information, only some public records and
hearsay.

Failing to maintain a web site does not result in dissolution.

> Ok Space Cadets!
> Maybe (just maybe) it's time to take the non profit obit and turn
it
> into!
>
> The Space Studies Institute is a for profit educational and
> organization.

Why ?

There are many non-profit tax exempt organizations performing work
under large research contracts, employing large numbers of people.

It is not necessary to incorporate a for-profit company in order to
make money.

> IMHO The cadavar of SSI needs to jump into bed with the military
> industlrial complex! Lets face it that's where the MONEY IS!
>

Is it? Assuming it is, what is your plan? Remember, we would be
competing against a huge set of entrenched business interests. How
do you propose to carve out a piece of that market?

> I also think SSI should jump onboard the space elevator bandwagon!

Why ?

What bandwagon would that be? Space Elevators will not be a viable
businessing for decades. Even optimists project that suitable
materials will not be available until 2018 at the earliest.

What is your plan here? To market vaporware?

There are many other technologies, such as mass drivers, which do
not require any breakthroughs, why not use those?

> I know I'm a traitor to pure science, but I'm also a realist!
> Sorry Gerard hope your not twirling in the ground!
>

If you have a viable business plan, I am sure Gerry would not mind.

But so far, you have not proposed anything resembling an interesting
business approach.

But feel free to change my mind, I am willing to read and listen.