Question: US Space Expansion and the Markets

We're all thrilled by the Falcon - I know I am - but of course that
isn't today's headline.

I know nothing about Wall Street stuff. Nothing.

But it has always seemed to me that if this country were to decide to
expand into space, and into that 12,000 years of natural resources
(O'Neil's estimate, as I recall) from Mercury to the Plutoids, and
decide it so seriously that the investment class becomes convinced
that this is happening, the result would have to be a tremendous
upswelling of faith in the long-term prospects of capitalism and...

...I don't know. That's what I'm asking about. Mind you, I'm not
asking about funding for the private space program, I'm asking about
the effect of a decision to colonize space upon our entire economy.
Can anyone speak to this?

Todd